Is This Part of Justin's Rehabilitation?

Well, this is an interesting twist on an uninteresting story. When Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez were basically confirmed to be back together, our reactions ranged from dismay to confusion. After all, Justin Bieber is, well, Justin Bieber, so why would Gomez want to go back down that road when it's so much different than it was back when she was a frequent traveller? Or, to be a little less metaphorical about it, why on earth would Selena Gomez want to date Justin Bieber when he's one of the Most Hated Men in America? According to Hollywood Life, Bieber believes Gomez has a positive effect on him and that he's "lost without her", which, in retrospect, would make a lot of sense.

We've been wondering why Bieber and Gomez had been going on such boring dates, like a trip to the zoo and attending Bible study together, but if getting back together with Selena Gomez is step one in Bieber's very belated rehabilitation program then it would make sense for him to start slow. He might be the kind of boyfriend who once rented out the entire Staples Center for the two of them to watch Titanic in, but being rich and famous hasn't been doing Bieber any favors in the past few years. Going to the movies like a normal person (with bodyguards) and having fun at the zoo could all be small ways to remember that, hey, Bieber, you're a person, not a child star turned grown man who can buy his way out of anything and sic his Beliebers on his detractors.

On the other hand, if Gomez really is here to remind Bieber of the sweet young man he used to be, then he's already slipping. According to TMZ, Bieber is hotboxing two condos in Beverly Hills, having rented one unit and the penthouse unit above it. His neighbors have complained of loud parties until the sunrise and of the pervasive smell of marijuana coming from under the doors. One neighbor even reports that Bieber had a party on Monday during which the deck was decorated with bongs and a bar.

Honestly, that sort of thing is a pretty harmless move from Bieber, who has been associated with things like tormenting children while trashing a Wal-Mart and wrestling a cell phone out of a woman's hands, but it also doesn't sound like he's trying very hard to be a better person. The entire idea of Gomez being his catalyst for change is an awkward one anyway. Yes, Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez were good together — and even obscenely adorable at points — back in 2011, but they've both grown into completely different people since then. If Bieber can't change on his own, then it's a little unfair of him to put all that on Gomez's shoulders.

Then again, according to Hollywood Life, Bieber considers Gomez to be "the only one who truly understood him" and "his one and only soulmate" and he does at least seem to be acting in accordance with that. By all reports, Bieber has been nothing but respectful toward and affectionate with her and it's clear that, whether they're hanging out as intimate friends or pictures of them kissing are about to leak, he really has missed her.

In the meantime, if this is a sign of an upward swing from Justin Bieber, then we're certainly not going to complain. Criticizing Justin Bieber is getting so easy that it's almost boring at this point and, at the end of the day, we just want Selena Gomez to be happy. Sure, we'd love it if she could be happy as far away from Justin Bieber as possible, but we can't always get what we want.

Image: WeHeartIt (1)