Death
SS by Danielle

Her hand was resting next to his. She tried to keep her attention to the movie, but her eyes kept wandering off to look at him. It has been a long time since they were able to do this.

The movie theater was cold. She shivers and slides her arms around herself. She was then startled by the loud gunshots. Her hand clamps down on her chest as she jumps up form her seat.

He laughs at her sudden spasm as he stuffs a fistful of popcorn in his mouth. She glares at him. She then lets her hands steal away the bag of popcorn he had locked underneath his arm. He stops chuckling as she snatches it away from him.

She gives him an innocent smile. He tries to grasp some kernels for himself by sticking his hand in, but she slaps his hand away. He continues to stare at her before unexpectedly gripping the tub of popcorn on her lap with a clenched fist to retrieve it back. But she wasn't budging.

She struggles with him before finally letting it go. He peeks in the bag to find it almost empty, and then looks down to find most of the missing popcorn on the floor as a result of their feuding.

She tries not to laugh when she sees his face. A few giggles escape her lips and she tries to cover her mouth with her hand. He can't help but start to laugh himself. It felt good to hear that familiar laugh of hers.

They exit the theater together side by side. "Are you hungry?" Britney asks.

"Yeah since you ate all the popcorn," Justin murmurs as he unlocks the car door.

Britney had to smile at the comment. When she gets in the car, she starts to protest.

"I did not eat the popcorn. You just didn't want to share." He laughs as he pulls out of the parking lot. He occasionally will look at her as he drives.

There was some traffic so he pulled his attention to Britney as he stops the car. She licks her lips as her fingertips adjust the volume of the radio. Her hand runs through the wavy strands of her hair as she softly sings.

"Turn down the light, turn down the bed….turn down these voices inside my head. Lay down with…tell me no lies…just hold me close…don't patronize," she sings in a low tone with her head resting against the palm of her hand. He loves the way she closes her eyes as the music streams into her ears. He never wanted her to change…just to stay like this with all her worries in the back of her mind. He smiles at her even though she can't see him.

His hand slides through hers as he presses on the gas. Britney then opens her eyes and looks at him. He is staring out at road while he drives, until they stop at a red light. She pulls their joined hands to her lips. Justin turns to watch her kiss his knuckles.

"I love you," her tone was serious. She usually smiles when she proclaims her love for him, but her eyes were watery this time. Her voice sounded melancholy....he didn't know why.

Justin wished he would have never stopped driving…he would have never let go of her hand if he didn't know that he was witnessing the last strand of love that she had for him.

He rubs his eye with the back of his hand. Justin wasn't planning on seeing the sunrise, but the lack of sleep gave him no choice. He thinks for a moment as he stares at the ceiling.

It was a rare day for him. He didn't need to be anywhere, so he decides to cruise around in his car. She said she will be here today.

He wanted to call her, but it was too early. Britney was never an early riser. He gets in the car and puts on his cap. He speeds down the L.A streets as he watches the sun stream down into the city. She then starts to consume his mind.

Justin didn't understand. The dream he had last night kept flashing before his eyes, and didn't allow much sleep to enter his mind. He had been this through this before. He thought he had control, but the memory of her is twirling around in him. He can feel her skin against his and it flows through his veins possessing the nerve endings.  It startles him and causes him to panic.

He tries to take a deep breath, but then he can smell her. The familiar fragrance hits his nostrils. Justin blinks continuously as sweat starts to form on his head…he was in a sudden daze. He quickly turns on the radio to try to clear his mind.

A familiar song hits his ears and he can then hear it. Britney's soft whisper travels through his head. His bewilderment increases.

The lump in his throat expands. He reaches for his phone and tries to pull over on the side of the road. The car starts to slow down, but his mind is accelerating with every image and touch she had cursed upon him.

It happened so fast. His chest clamps down against the steering wheel as he hears the piercing scraping of metal ring in his ears. All he can feel is the blood stinging his eyes…he can't scream. The back of the front seat is compressed against his lungs, and it isn't long before his breathing decreases.

He wants to cry…he is ready to sob in a strangled yelp for aid. But he can feel the comfort of something beautiful. He doesn't feel the pain anymore as he tastes her lips.

When he can open his eyes, he sees Britney on his chest with their hands entwined. He looks up to see the road before him. They are in a car…his eyes roam the small body in his grasp. She is singing softly with a smile plastered on her lips. He tilts his head to the side to look into her eyes. Britney leans up a little to kiss him on the chin. He can see the contentment and feel the love. The beautiful figure was glowing in his arms. He wasn't going to stop driving this time.