Why Your Love Went Away (Justin Timberlake/Britney Spears)

Chapter 9 Living A Lie

"Ready for this, Justin?" Britney asked to no one in particular, touching up her lipstick in the rearview mirror. She wanted to look really good when Justin saw her, she wanted him to see what he was missing. She was already pumped up for her confrontation with Justin as she pulled her car up outside his house. "You're gonna regret the day you tried to ruin me, Justin, because now, you see, I'm going to ruin  you."

Britney had on a jean jacket and short skirt and was wearing her new red lipstick, she felt like a star. She absolutely couldn't wait to see Justin's stupid face so she could rub his ugly nose in it, so he could see just how well she was doing. She didn't need him, not anymore.

Britney practically skipped to Justin's doorstep and rang the bell. She just hoped his mom didn't answer, or he didn't have some random skank with him...

Britney felt her heart jump when she heard the door crack open. Even though she was excited to tell Justin off, she couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.

Suddenly, the door flung open all the way, leaving Britney to stand there and stare in shock like a dolt.

She had told herself to prepare for a number of things, from Justin kicking her out the moment he laid eyes on her to being greeted at the door by a prostitute.

But she wasn't prepared for  this. She wasn't prepared for this at all.

"...Oh my God. Justin," Britney muttered, all of the air suddenly gone from her lungs. She felt like she couldn't breathe. "What- what  happened to you?"

"I'm fine," Justin said weakly. "Now what the Hell do you want?"

"No, you're not fine!" Britney said, feeling all of the anger fizzle out of her in a matter of seconds. "You need help."

"I told you I'm fine!"

"And I told you you're not," Britney said firmly. "You're not fine and you know it."

Britney almost couldn't bare to look at him anymore. This wasn't the Justin she knew. The Justin she knew was a charming, goofy, stubborn but kind kid who always had a smile on his face.

Not that she hadn't seen Justin angry plenty of times. Justin had gotten pissed at her more times than she could count.

But this was a Justin she was completely unfamiliar with, and it scared her. This Justin had dark rings under his bloodshot eyes and frighteningly pale skin. This Justin looked beyond exhausted, practically ready to fall over. This Justin looked so obviously hung over that it hurt just to look at him. This Justin was just a little too skinny and horribly disheveled. This Justin looked miserable. This Justin looked sick.

"Why don't you just leave me alone?" Justin asked after more than a few pity glances from Britney. "You don't give a shit about me, anyway."

"That's not true, Justin," Britney said. "I may have hurt you, and you definitely hurt me. And I'm still angry. But I still hate to see you like this. I...I still care about you."

"Than why the Hell did ya cheat on me again, huh?" Justin said, suddenly sounding crazy.

"What are you talking about ?!" Britney exclaimed angrily. If he didn't look so hungover she would've slapped him. "Wait a minute, are you still drunk?"

"Not  still  drunk, baby,   re-drunk.  Hey, is that even a word? "

"What do you mean re-drunk?" Britney asked, still horribly confused.

"Well, my cousin always told me the best cure for a hangover is beer, and lots of it," Justin mumbled. "See, it's working!"

"No, it's not," Britney said angrily. "You're a complete mess!"