PrologueJustin Timberlake looked down at his long-time girlfriend. "You seem pissed, Brit. What’s got your panties in a twist?"
Britney Spears swung around and slapped him across the face. Hard. "Justin, you’re are such an asshole! I can’t believe you. You acted like such a fool tonight."
"What did I do that was so foolish?"
"You got wasted, Justin, mocked just about everyone, even your best friends. I can’t believe you were teasing JC about his hair like that. He’s supposed to be your best friend. And you called him a fag. Justin, how could you? I wouldn’t blame him if he hated you!"
"No one hates me," Justin slurred. "I’m Justin Timberlake." The stench of alcohol was heavy around him, and he was unsteady on his feet as he walked in the house he shared with Britney. They had just arrived home from his birthday party. Luckily for both Britney and Justin, Britney had been driving.
"You’re a jerk, Justin. You think you’re better than all of us. You treat your best friends and your girlfriend- me- like shit. You walk all over us, use us, betray us. And we let you."
"I haven’t ever betrayed you, Brit." Justin leaned against a wall, he was so unsteady on his feet. He didn’t want to be having this argument. "Can we stop now and finish this in the morning?"
"What about all of the one-night stands you’ve had?" Britney asked. "I know you’ve cheated on me while you were on tour."
"Did not," Justin said.
Britney walked over to him. "Look me in the eye and tell me you never cheated on me."
Justin avoided her eyes. "You’ve cheated on me, too, you know."
Britney spun on her heel and walked away from him. "I can’t fucking believe you, Justin Timberlake. I’ve never cheated on you, and you know it. And you stand there-"
"I’m outta here, Brit. I don’t need this fucking shit right now. I’ll go find someone else who’ll sleep with me, since you won’t." Justin grabbed his keys from the table where he’d put them earlier that day and stormed out of the house.
"You said you didn’t mind waiting, asshole," Britney screamed, running to the door. "Don’t throw my virginity back in my face!"
"Bye, Brit." Justin climbed in the car. "Don’t expect to see me for a few days."
"Justin, don’t this, you’re drunk." Britney ran towards the car. He’s gonna kill himself if he goes driving right now.
The tires on his car squealed as he pulled out of the driveway.
"Damnit, Justin, don’t do this!"
~~~
"She’s just a damn bitch, I don’t need her," Justin said to himself, as he drove down the highway, doing at least 90 miles an hour. "I can have anyone I want. I’m the best-looking guy out there. I can sing, I can dance, I can act. I’m every girl’s dream come true."
Justin glanced in the rearview mirror, running a hand over his short curls. "I am beautiful. There are no other words to describe me."
He looked back to the road, just in time to see another car come crashing into him. The headlights were blinding white, and then all went black.
~~~
He woke up in the hospital, days later. But he didn’t know that. He thought it had only been a few hours.
People were whispering and someone was sobbing.
"He’ll be okay, won’t he?" someone- he vaguely identified the voice as belonging to Britney- asked. "He’ll be able to sing and dance, right?"
"The doctor isn’t sure, sweetie," another voice told her. He knew that voice belonged to his mother.
"Will they be able to do anything about the scars?"
"No."
Justin turned his head, and found himself staring at a face that he knew, somewhere in his mind, was his. But he couldn’t believe it. No, this couldn’t be his face. His face was beautiful, perfect, something from a girl’s dream. Not this... dare he call it face?
Scars ran up and down his face, from his jaw bone to his forehead. They crossed over his eyes- he was luck to still be able to see- messed up his eyebrows, put jagged red lines on his once beautiful lips.
He was ugly.
Justin started to scream, but the sound that came from his throat wasn’t his, either. It was harsh, broken. His beautiful, golden voice was gone.
"Justin," his mom said. "Justin, baby, what’s wrong?" She rushed to his side, Britney right behind her. The doorway was crowded with his friends.
"Get out," Justin screamed, in his new, hoarse voice. "Get out, get out, get out."
"Justin, calm down," Lynn Harliss said.
"GET OUT!" he screamed one last time, then started coughing.
"Come on, Lynn," Britney said. She placed an arm on Lynn’s shoulder. "Justin needs time to himself." They walked out, Britney closing the door behind her.
"I’m ugly," Justin said, disrupting the silence of the room. "Hideous. My voice is gone." He looked at the mirror again. "So hideous, so ugly. I’m nothing." Hr grabbed a vase of flowers on the bedside table and threw them at the mirror. The sound of the glass shattering, then the tinkling of the glass falling to the carpet filled the room, looming heavy in the air.
"I am nothing. Nothing. Just.... Ugly."