Together Again for the First Time, Chapter 1 by patricia51

(Sequel to my story "Do We Know Each Other". Justin finally calls up the cute girl he met at the Museum for a date. Teddy has been waiting. Will romance bloom? And will Justin's secret get in the way? Justin/Teddy.

Note: Several people have asked if the puzzled attraction between Justin and Teddy means that Justin and Juliet never dated. The answer to that is that in this series the latter two never met but a resonance of what might have been between them echoes between him and Teddy. Maybe that's not prefect but it's the only explanation I can come up with that satisfies me.

Oh and it's been pointed out that the Duncans don't live in NYC. They do now! LOL.)

(The Phone Call)

Justin Russo had never had any trouble calling a girl for a date. In fact he had sometimes smugly reminded himself that he had a pretty good track record. Of course, as his pesky younger sister Alex pointed out as often as she could, sometimes the girls who did date him had a few "quirks" as he strove to put it. "Weirdos" was what Alex had retorted. Okay, so there had been a werewolf and a centaur and a half-elf and maybe a few others that had been a little questionable. But heck, look at a certain English guy that Alex had fallen in love with.

So why was he having such a time making this phone call? Sure Teddy Duncan was a very attractive blonde girl with a wonderful smile and deep cute brown eyes that he had found himself lost in the first time they had met his. In so many ways she was just another girl. Sure it had been so sweet the way she took care of her baby sister Charlie and he had found her intelligent and fun to talk to but...

"Oh nuts Justin", he scolded himself. "You're scared to death to call her because after just one meeting you already have a crush on her and you can't imagine what you'll do if she says no."

"Why would you think that? After all, she GAVE you her phone number you didn't even ask for it. But what if she's found someone else? A girl like that doesn't stay without a boyfriend for long. Maybe I should write everything down and practice it."

It was possible that Justin would have argued with himself for weeks had Alex not come in the room. But she did, took one look at her older brother and groaned.

"What?"

"You still haven't called her? What are you trying to do, set a record for the longest time spent listening to a dial tone? I mean, yea, there must be something really wrong with a girl who slips you her phone number but come on. Call her!"

Seeing her brother still wavering Alex snatched the phone and the slip of paper from him. She punched out the numbers and thrust the phone into Justin's hands.

"Say 'Hello' dummy," hissed Alex.

Justin was so surprised he nearly repeated "Hello Dummy" into the phone. But he got control of himself with a massive effort as a somehow already familiar female voice answered, although she sounded not nearly as pleasant as the last time they had spoken.

Teddy Duncan was furious and perfectly prepared to unleash that fury upon any target of opportunity. This time, now and forever, she really was done with Spencer. She had had enough of being lied to and cheated on. MEN. Ivy had said it perfectly.

"There ain't no good in them girlfriend," her best friend had declared. And she was right. Woe betide the next sly, sneaky trickster who tried to gain her affections only to dump her like last night's leftovers.

So when her cell phone rang she glared at it as she flipped it open.

"What?" she all but snarled. When there was a momentary silence on the far end she really did snarl.

"WHATTTTT?"

"Ahh, could I speak to, I mean is this..." Justin got no further in his stammering when Teddy cut him off.

"This is Teddy and I'm not talking to anyone right now. Especially boys who can't get a sentence out. Goodbye!" she snapped the phone closed, feeling better now that she had let someone have it.

Now that she was a bit calmer she decided to see just who she had given a piece of her mind to. She checked recent calls.

Justin Russo? Hmmmm, Justin Russo. Oh, of course, JUSTIN RUSSO! That cute, nice guy she had met at the museum and felt such an instant connection to him that she thought she must have already known him. And he had felt the same way she knew. It had been obvious from the first hesitant words he had approached her with. Even though it had sounded so much like a corny line he had been sincere and she had responded. Teddy smiled.

Her heart suddenly lurched. She didn't swear but DAMN. He finally had called and she had lashed out at him. Nearly dropping the phone twice in her haste she called him back. And the phone went to voicemail after just enough rings to convince her he had seen her calling and refused to answer. Who could blame him?

Panicked, she left a message on his voicemail, apologizing and asking him to call back. Then she waited. And waited. She sent a text message. After a few moments the phone started to sing.

Justin had been absolutely stunned by Teddy's blistering answer to his call. Granted he must have come across as a bit of a dork but golly. When the phone rang he looked at the display. Seeing it was Teddy and not feeling like hearing what she had to say now that she had time to think of more things to say he let it go to voicemail.

Well that settled it. He would not let Alex push him into phone calls he wasn't ready to make. And next time he WOULD write the whole thing out so he didn't hem and haw and never get anything intelligent out. The J-Man couldn't come across like a stammering nerd, even though he sometimes was he confessed to himself.

A chirp brought his attention back to the phone. He had a text message. Automatically he opened it.

"PLS CALL IM SRY TEDDY" it read.

He hesitated, then shook his head and smiled. No, his first thought was wrong; that she was trying to get him back to yell at him some more. Teddy would never do that. He knew her better than that. Which thought was strange wasn't it? They had met exactly once. But he was right, he knew that. He hit "Send".

"Justin?"

"Hi Teddy."

"Justin, I am SO sorry I lost my temper. Things have not been going well here lately and I guess I was looking for an outlet for my temper and you just happened to wander into my sights while I was dying to pull the trigger. Please forgive me."

"Well as long as you promise not to pull any triggers on me in the future," Justin grinned to himself. "I'd hate for you to shoot me, especially if it was just because I happened to be in the vicinity."

"I promise," Teddy laughed.

"Good."

The pair settled down for a nice chat, although by unspoken but mutual consent they didn't delve into just what had Teddy so upset. Teddy caught Justin up on all of the antics of her family, especially Charlie and was pleased at how interested he seemed. In return she listened to the latest prank his sister Alex had pulled on him. Covering her mouth had not kept him from detecting the laughter she desperately was attempting to smother.

"Yeah, take her side," he pretended to grumble. "I'll have to watch the two of you if you ever get together."

"I suspect you might be right."

Now that things were comfortable and relaxed Justin felt safe to go to the point of his call.

"Teddy the reason that I called is I was hoping that we could see each other again."

"Are you asking me on a date?"

"Well, not yet actually," he admitted. "From what you said you parents, especially your Dad, don't approve of you going out with anyone they haven't met."

"This is true," she agreed. "So when are you going to meet them so we CAN go out?" Teddy blurted out before realizing just how eager she must seem to Justin. To heck with it, she thought, she really did want to go out with him.

"How about Friday evening?" Justin asked, feeling as eager as Teddy. "I have to work at the Sub Station Saturday."

"Oh darn," Teddy groaned. "Friday I can't. You see..."

"You already have a date?" asked Justin worriedly.

"Oh golly no," reassured Teddy. "You see, South High has a basketball game and well, I need to be there."

"You play basketball? I don't remember that. Is this something new?"

"No. I mean yes it's something new but no I don't play basketball." Teddy hesitated. "I'm the school mascot."

"Really? Cool!" exclaimed Justin.

"You could come to the game," Teddy said excitedly. "Watch me perform. Then when we win, I hope, my folks will be in a great mood. My Dad played ball and my Mom was the mascot when she went to school at South High."

"Tell the team not to lose then," Justin instructed. "I sure don't want your parents in a bad mood."

"I'll be sure to tell them," Teddy laughed. Justin smiled at the sound of the girl's merriment. "So you'll come?"

"What time?"

"The game starts at seven-thirty. I do a pre-game bit at about ten minutes before that but my real show is at halftime."

"I'll be there at seven-fifteen at the latest," Justin promised.

"Great." Teddy thought for a moment and then giggled. "If you get there early, I get dressed and then wait by the side entrance to the court to make my grand entrance. She went on the describe the layout of the gym. "If you slip in the side door we could see each other before the game starts."

"In that case I'll be there by seven."

"I'll see you there. Thanks for calling back."

"No problem. I'm sorry about whatever got you so upset. I really am looking forward to seeing you."

"Me too," replied Teddy as they broke the connection.

Was she nuts the bubbly teen girl thought as she looked thoughtfully at her phone? The only person she had ever mentioned Justin to was Charlie, who hardly counted. Of course back then she had been chasing Spencer and, unfortunately, catching him, at least for a short while. So with as protective as her parents were about her seeing anyone they hadn't met and approved of why did she feel so good, so warm, about the possibility of meeting Justin before the game?

"Maybe I AM nuts," she said aloud. But a pair of blue/green eyes she remembered said something different.

(To Be Continued)