Hello there!
You know they say the hardest thing to do when you're writing something is to start? Well, that's happening right now with the next chapter of Bright Eyes, but don't worry, I'll come up with something soon. Meanwhile, I had this idea in my head and it wouldn't let me do my homework in peace, so I decided to write it and I hope you like it. I really am not sure how this came up and I'm not really sure of what I did. I just wrote. It actually was going to be completely different, but my brain doesn't works like I tell it to and makes its own things and yeah, don't mind me or my weirdness. It's kind of random but I tried haha
So here it goes. Enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot to this story. The credit for the name of the characters go to whoever in Disney that was creative enough to come up with it and the credit for the songs used to help me tell this story go to everyone involved in the writing, production and all that process.
God bless your souls for creating such great songs.
Mitchie's Dreams
"Hey, New York! I hope you all are ready for this: Everybody's favorite Rock Star, Mitchie Torres, is coming back to New York for two sold out concerts in no other than the Madison Square Garden and today is giving an acoustic concert for her fans!" said the radio one morning.
Mitchie Torres, a name that had been hunting me for the longest of times.
Mitchie Torres, the ultimate rock star, the New Yorker that jumped to fame with her bestselling album, Don't Forget. Mitchie Torres, a name you'd hear every day, everywhere. New York's pride. Whoever didn't know who she was in this city had to be living under a rock. She was everywhere, but back in the day; she was just another girl in the world, but the world to one girl: Me.
It was freshman year when I met her, first day of High School. She was the pretty girl in corner of the classroom, wearing skinny jeans, a band T-shirt –The Police– , dark heavy makeup and straight brown hair; I was the upset girl that didn't pay attention to her surroundings because my best friend, Harper Finkle, barely had a few classes with me. I sat by her, not even noticing her. I was so upset that I didn't knowledge anything until our teacher said we had to work in pairs. It was the first day, so I pretty much didn't know anyone and as I looked for someone to work with, my eyes landed on her.
She took over my mind from that very first moment.
I flashed a smile and asked if she'd mind working with me, mentally asking myself how this girl would be like. Nice? Sweet? Sad? A Bitch? For a moment I was worried, because she just stared at me with no expression in her face. Was she upset I asked her to work with me? Should I walk away before she decided to hit me? However, all my negative thoughts and questions were eliminated from my head when she smiled at me and nodded. To my surprise, behind all the heavy makeup, she was just the sweetest girl in the world, probably hiding her personality with her kind of intimidating look to don't get hurt. Anyway, from the moment I sat next to Mitchie Torres and we started working together, the connection between us was undeniable. From that first day, Mitchie and I became inseparable. My attachment to Mitchie was so strong that even Harper, who had been my best friend since we were toddlers, felt jealous of my relationship with her. She shouldn't have, because what I hoped to have with Mitchie was completely different from what I had with Harper.
Yes, I had a crush on that girl, on Mitchie Torres.
I really am not sure of when did it happen. I was just aware by sophomore year, that I wouldn't be able to be around her much longer without saying anything. My crush on her was so out of hand that, in fact, I even doubted it ever was just a crush. It always felt much deeper than that. So, as I thought, by the end of that year I told her everything, when holding it inside stopped being an option. Thank god, the answer I got was positive, being accepted with a face eating smile –the most beautiful smile I have ever seen in my life, period – and a kiss, being that May 22th the day I became Mitchie Torres' girlfriend.
Thanks to that, junior year was the best year of my life, by far.
Picture this: I had the most perfect girlfriend in the world, had the perfect school schedule that allowed me to be with her in all of our classes, I had the perfect teachers –yes, that kind of teachers exist– that would always allow us to work together, my best friend and I have managed to stay best friends even through all the shit that was thrown our way and the odds never being in our favor and even my grades were much better than I ever thought they would be. It was just perfect.
Nonetheless, I'm sure we all know perfection does not exist and the closest thing to perfection never seems to last.
You know how senior year is. College talk begins, and so does the pressure to take choices most teenagers that age aren't ready to take. College applications and dealing with the fact that you'll be obligated to say goodbye soon to everyone that has been like your family for four years: probably one of the most stressing year of life. At least, it was for me. Problems with Mitchie started to show up when she announced to us the decision she had taken: She was not going to college. Instead, she was moving to California and was determined to knock in every existent record label in that state until someone would sign her.
"Alex, are you ready to go?" I heard, as a redhead popped up in the door frame.
"Yeah, just let me get my jacket and I'll meet you downstairs in a moment." My best friend nodded.
"Okay, then, hurry up."
Harper closed the door and I sighed, looking at myself in the mirror. No, I wasn't looking at myself. I was looking at the shirt I was wearing. 'Mitchie Torres Don't Forget Summer Tour'. The tour t-shirt for her first headlining tour. Her beautiful face was in it, a black Gibson SG guitar in her hand, along with the little smirk I always loved so much. In the back of it, all the tour dates.
I sighed, again. We were all worried about Mitchie. She was a brilliant girl; any college would have killed to have her in their student body. We all only wanted the best for her, so why was she throwing away everything for a silly dream? That was my thinking back then. We got in so many arguments because of that and I never realized how badly I was hurting her by trying to change her mind. She didn't have the support of her parents –they even said they'd kick her out of she didn't go to college– and I, her girlfriend, who was supposed to be by her side through anything, wasn't believing in her either.
Why was I so stupid?
I took my beige leather jacket, my car's keys and walked outside my room. I got to NYU and she parted to California, where she spent a year having numerous ridiculous jobs, affirming her paycheck was enough for her to live. For the following 8 or 9 months after our graduation from High School, I tried to persuade her and make her come back to New York, but she never listened. In fact, she'd get mad at me each time I ever intended to mention that matter.
"Why don't you have a little bit of faith in me, Alex?" She'd always say.
"I do have faith in you, Mitch, but–"
"Why can't you accept this is what makes me happy? I don't care about money or that college degree you all want me to have if it's not going to make me happy. "
"But babe –"
"No, Alex, you listen. If you had a bit of faith in me, just a tiny bit, you wouldn't even try to make me change my mind. I wasn't made for school halls, Lex; I was made for tour buses."
"Mitchie, you're not–"
"You know what, Alex? I think it's time for to stop giving a fuck about what you have to think about this and start thinking about me. If you can't support me in this 'silly dream' as you call it, then I don't really know why we are still together."
I remember feeling my heart break when I heard those words coming from the phone. I promised I wouldn't comment on it ever again, but soon after that Nathaniel fucking Gray came into the view. You see, Nate Gray was the leader of the very famous –and very annoying– boy band "Connect 3". Mitchie would spend her nights going from bar to bar, guitar in hand, playing in all open mic places she could. Fortunately or unfortunately, Nate Gray attended one of those places one night, where Mitchie played one of her songs. He was blown away with her voice and talent, that he made his personal goal to make her famous, handing her a card and telling her to call him in the morning. Long story short, Nate Gray soon signed her with his family's record label, Gray Enterprises, and it was that, Nate Gray and his record label, all it took for my relationship to be utterly fucked.
"All set, I'm driving. Make sure you have the tickets." I told Harper as I zipped up my jacket. She nodded me and followed me to my car, turning on the radio as soon as we got inside.
"… This is real, this is me, I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now, gonna let the light shine on me…" came out of the radio as soon as it started sounding. Harper gave me glance, deciding if she should or not turn off the radio. I kept my eyes on the road, listening to her beautiful voice, being this way the only way I could listen to it now. "Now I've found who I am, there's no way to hold it in, no more hiding who I wanna be, this is me…"
"I have always liked that song." Harper commented, in an attempt of small chat. "It's so… real."
I nodded. "She wrote the second verse in freshman year, but she was never able to finish it until she met Shane Gray, Nate's brother." I pointed a finger to the radio, just as Shane's voice was heard with the chorus of Gotta Find You, a Connect 3 song that 'casually' fitted Mitchie's This Is Me perfectly. "They finished it together, mixing both songs."
"Oh, I didn't know that." Harper said, surprised. "How do you know that?"
I shrugged. "Internet."
Everyone in NYU thought I was holding on to my teenage years for dear life by being obsessed with Mitchie Torres, while everyone who knew the story behind my obsession thought it wasn't healthy, being Harper the only supporter of it. I had made a painting of her face with neon colors and it was hanging on the wall of the apartment I shared with Harper, just like my room was filled of posters of Mitchie. I had all her songs on my iPod, even the unreleased ones, and knew every lyric to it. I had attended all her concerts in New York, had a tour t-shirt for each one, as well as the tour books and so on. I pretty much knew everything about her and I bet a lot of people thought I was a stalker. My parents had gone as far as to forbid me to go to her concerts, but there wasn't much they could do about it since I didn't live with them anymore. However, even if I did, I would have broken all the rules just to see her.
She was the star of my world, but it took me too long to realize of that.
"That was "This is Me" by Mitchie Torres featuring Connect 3!" cheers were heard on the radio. "Can you guys believe it has been 3 years since this song was realized and went #1 on every charting list? It's amazing how far this really talented girl has gotten, a truly example of what following our dreams can do." I smiled, because that comment was really accurate. "And speaking of Mitchie Torres, her newest album, Early Days, will be coming out next week and it's already #1 in iTunes! How awesome is that?"
"Wow, her fans really are passionate, aren't they?" Oh, Harper, if you knew I had already pre-ordered all formats of that album.
"And we've got an exclusive interview Ryan had with Mitchie a few days back, when she attended the premier of Jason Gray's new movie, and they talked about her new album. Check it out guys!" Harper turned up the volume of the radio.
"Well, hi there Mitchie! You look stunning tonight!" Oh my god, her giggle. So cute.
"Thank you, Ryan; you don't look so bad yourself."
"Thanks! Now, Mitchie, you newest single, 'What to Do', went straight to #1 a few hours after it was released, being the fastest selling single by a woman in the history and beating Taylor Swift's record. It even still is #1 in many countries. How do you feel about this?"
"Well, what can I say? I have the best fans in the world." She giggled again. "I really am happy my fans are enjoying the song."
"They sure are! Now, tell us about your newest album, "Early Days", what inspired the name?"
"Well, Early Days is very special for me. A lot of things have happened to me in the last 4 or 5 years of my life and a lot of songs have been written in the span of it. A lot of those songs made it to my previous albums, and a lot of those didn't. When I was deciding the track list of the still untitled album, a few months ago, I realized none of the songs I had written recently were as special for me as all of those songs written during those years, so I decided to use them for this album and call it Early Days. All songs in the album were written in High School and the following year after graduation, which was the year I started getting more into the showbiz." Harper got excited, jumping up and down on the copilot sit, earning a strange look from me.
"I am so buying that album, oh my god." I rolled my eyes. She took me by my arm. "Do you realize almost all songs are going to be about you?!"
"Yes, I do."
"Aren't you excited?!"
"For most part of it, yes I am, but Harper, I really I'm not looking forward to hear what she thought of me and my lack of support to her in senior year and the year after it." She sighed.
"I guess you're right on that…"
"Very nice! We're all looking forward to have it in our iPods! What can we expect to find it?"
"Well, for now 16 tracks full of all feelings you get in High School: Love, sadness, frustration, anger and heartbreak. I'm really excited for it!"
"Exactly my point, Harper." The radio station cut off the interview, saying it could be found in their website and all that shit, so I changed to another that was playing Maroon 5's new song and set my concentration back on the road.
"I still don't understand why you get yourself to this kind of torture, Alex." Harper said, after a while, making me give her a quick glance, questioning her. "Being her fan, attending all of her concerts, buying her albums. Why?"
"It's a way to remind myself that I could be doing the exact same thing but in a different way, Harper." I said, sighing. "If I had supported her, I'd still be her number one fan, but she'd have knowledge of it. I'd still attend all of her concerts, but it wouldn't be just New York, it'd be everywhere. I'd watch her in backstage every night and I'd be the first one she'd hug after every concert. I'd still buy her albums, but it'd be with her, buying them on the day of release at midnight, like she always does. But I didn't and here I am now, wanting what I didn't get for being an imbecile."
"You realize this is not healthy at all, right? Holding on to the mistake of the past, I mean."
"Yes, I do know that. But how am I supposed to let go of her when I'm sure she was the love of my life? Tell me, how do I do that?" Harper remained silent, probably not knowing what to say. "When I can answer that to myself, then I'll get back to you, Harp. I'll let go of her. But now I don't know how to do it and I don't plan on doing it."
Harper sighed, nodding, giving up the fight with me. They all knew there was no use to try to argue with me over this matter. I was not going to let go of my love for Mitchie, because I still had hope for the future. However, the problem was I really didn't know what to do about it. I would attend every single one of her concerts –even the acoustic private sets, like the one I was on my way to, thanks to Harper for winning the tickets on the radio –but I would never ever, ever, ever go to a meet and greet or anything that involved 'meeting' her, even when I had many opportunities to do it. I even found myself a few times, staring at her fan club page, just a click away from buying a meet and greet and not being able to do it. Why? Because I wasn't sure of what to expect.
You'll see, when Mitchie met Nate Gray, she became really close to him and his family. In fact, when she had no place to live anymore in California, due to Mitchie spending her days in the studio and not going to work, being unable to pay the rent when the time would come, the Grays let her live with them. For this, Mitchie got really close to one of the brothers, Shane. Soon, all magazines and gossip sites in the country started showing pictures of Mitchie and Shane walking together, having lunch together, laughing together, going to concerts together, and doing a lot of things together, always saying something along the lines 'the newest Hollywood young couple', making my blood boil every time because I was still dating Mitchie at the time. She always made sure of letting me know she had nothing going on with the boy, but it still was impossible for me to not see the pictures and get upset. Then her first album was released and everything got out of hand. Mitchie's name was always attached to Nate, Shane and Jason Gray. She went on tour with Connect 3, as the opening act to promote her album, being her duet with Connect 3, This is Me, the most acclaimed song of every concert.
It was during her concert as the opening act of Connect 3 in New York, 3 years ago, when we broke up.
I was upset because I didn't want her to be around Shane Gray all the time. She was upset because I still wasn't being supporting of her decisions. We started yelling and saying things I'm pretty sure none of us meant, yet that were somewhat true. I said how much I hated she had chosen this life instead of going to college and actually spending time with me. She said how much she hated I wasn't even making an effort to just try to understand her and that she was done with my bullshit.
"What is that supposed to mean, Michelle?! Are you really going to break up with me after all we've been through?!"
"If breaking up with you means I will get peace by doing what I love doing instead of being worried of what is my asshole of a girlfriend going to think about everything I do then yes, I am breaking up with you!" She yelled, tears rolling down her cheeks, which she whipped furiously rapid. "I deserve much more better than this, Alex! I will not give up the biggest dream of my life, a dream you knew I had, just because you don't like it. I am sorry, but until you can understand me, there's not much we can do anymore to be together. This clearly isn't working anymore."
I was going to yell at her, leave all my frustrations out, but her team kicked me out of backstage as soon as they saw I had upset her –she was going to perform that day, after all, and couldn't show up there with her a mess of makeup– and I never felt as bitter as I did that day, when I watched her perform with a big smile on her face. For me, it seemed like our break up meant nothing to her and let myself be angry for that. It didn't last long. A few months after that concert, when Connect 3 tour finished, she went back to the studio and recorded the 11 songs of what was her first bestselling album, Don't Forget; one of those songs totally being about our break up: On the Line, that much to my dismay, it was a duet with Connect 3. The song talked about how she was taking the blame of what happened in our relationship but that we were destined to end, and that we'll leave it as it was. No effort from any side.
And that was why I never tried again to talk to her. She wanted to give it an end, and I let her have it. However, I couldn't bring myself to do it. She had meant way too much to me to even think of giving our love an end.
I sighed, loudly, as I parked my car in the parking lot of the venue. Lots of young girls and their parents, teenagers loudly singing to the studio version of Mitchie's songs played on the speakers and boys wearing shirts with suggestive messages, all of them rushing to the entrance of the venue.
It was show time.
IIIIIIIIIIIIIII
"Are you guys having fun?!" Mitchie exclaimed, sitting on a high chair and adjusting her mic.
It was private show, so there weren't much people in here. Maybe 200, but I'm not sure. Anyway, I let Harper get lost into the crowd –she wanted to be in the front– and I made my way to the back, admiring her from the distance. From here, as her fans went nuts for her, I could see things I had never realized before: the way her face would light up as the fact of people shouting her name would hit her, how big she'd smile while singing and playing, how she'd feel everything on stage. This really was what was meant to be, she had proven us all wrong. She was a star, a rock star. She had the talent, the angel, the charisma. She had everything to make it and she knew it all along.
"When the idea of making an acoustic concert for you came on, I couldn't imagine it being in somewhere else than New York." The crowd started to cheer again. "So I really am happy to be back home!" I sighed. "New York brings a lot of memories to me. I grew up here, my family and friends live here. I had my first love here, just as well as my first heartbreak, so it really is special to be here tonight." She looked up, smiling again, as her eyes scanned the crowd. She was looking for someone. When she didn't find whoever she was looking for, her eyes showed a bit of sadness for a moment, then lightened up again, as her smile grew bigger. "And because it's special, I have decided to play this song that it's going to be in my newest album, Early Days." The cheers at the mention of her album's name were insanely loud. She chuckled a little. "This song was written around three years ago, by the end of my first tour with Connect 3. This actually was going to be on 'Don't Forget', but I got second thoughts about it and put it out that album." Sometimes I asked myself how teenagers managed to have voice if they yelled this loud at every concert. "But I decided to put it in this one because, um, it's really… important to me, so I hope you like it." She started strumming, looking down at the fret board, her bangs falling on her face. So beautiful. "This is called We'll be a Dream."
From all songs I have ever heard from Mitchie Torres, from all songs I knew were written about me, this was the first song that have made my breath get stuck in my throat from the very first line of it. This wasn't about the anger or frustration she probably felt when it seemed I was against her, nor was a song to make me feel awful about everything I did wrong. It was a song about that perfectly imperfect relationship we had that if well, would have always been frustrating, it was everything we wanted. It was what she wanted. She wanted her dream as much as she wanted me to be with her, she didn't want to chose between any of the two. Our love was her dream as well, and because of everything I had done, it'd stay only as that, a dream.
My heart felt completely torn as the thought of it crossed my mind.
She broke up with me, she wrote a song about how she was not going to try to fix anything because we were destined to fail and for the following three years, she pretty much forgot about my existence. If she did want to forget about me like she made it look like for so long, why to release that song now? My mind told me to shut up, because there I had no right to judge anything Mitchie had done. I had earned that song, I had earned losing her. It didn't mean it didn't hurt, though.
"When the lights go out, we'll be safe and sound, we'll take control of the world, like it's all we have to hold on to and we'll be a dream." She sang, and I felt my phone vibrating on my pocket; I took it out without noticing it.
Harper: I see why you still are so hung up on her. This girl is so madly in love with you as the first day, Lex.
Alex: That's not true.
Harper: Well, You love her, don't you?
Alex: I think I answered that question earlier today.
Harper: That's enough for me. Let's see if it's enough for her, shall we?
What?! I looked up from my phone to the stage, horrified, in the exact same moment someone threw a sign at the stage, just like any other person would have thrown flowers, a stuffed animal or even a bra. Oh, no, it wasn't only a sign; it had my name on it. First of all, how did Harper manage to get that close enough to the stage? And second, from where the fuck did she get that sign?
"Oh my god, guys!" I heard Mitchie exclaim, laughing, when she finished the song. "What is this?!" Oh my god, I needed to get out of here, fast. "Alex Russo will always love you." Oh Harper Finkle, you're going to be so death when I see you. I started moving in the crowd as fast I could, pushing people without even caring, trying to get to the exit of the venue, anxiety raising up my body and breathing getting heavier. I had tried to avoid this for years, why on earth did Harper ever think that…? "Oh my god, Harper, is that you?!" Oh, I was fucked.
IIIIIIIIIIIII
Mitchie's POV.
When the sign was thrown my way, I couldn't help but feel completely distracted by it. A lot of things have been thrown to me, but never a sign. What was this? I kept the curiosity inside me until I finished the song. Once I did, I handed my guitar to a staff guy and got up from the chair, which was rapidly taken from the stage as well, directing my attention to the sign lying on the floor.
"Oh my god, guys!" I exclaimed, laughing, still amused by this. "What is this?" My heart stopped when I opened it, expecting everything but to see what was written in it. "Alex Russo will always love you." from all things I expected to see, this was the last one. I turned the sign around, just to see a huge "We Love You Mitch!" on it, with such a different handwriting than the other one. This sign had been stolen. I laughed again and looked at the six words I had first seen. Alex Russo will always love you. I looked up from the sign, scanning the front row of the public. Alex wasn't there, she never was. From the day of our break up, I continually came back to New York just with the soil purpose of expecting to see her in any of the events I ever did in this city, but it never happened. I had even asked the people from the Tickets Company to let me know if they ever saw the name of Alexandra Russo on their files for any tickets for my concerts. Yes, even celebrities can be stalkers. However, her name never came up and I'd always be disappointed. I looked back to the sign, realizing this was not Alex's sloppy handwriting. No, it was more defined, more girly. I looked at the front row again, examining each face in it.
Then I found the person that had thrown the sign, my heart racing in my chest because if this person was who I thought it was, it meant a step closer to Alex. "Oh my god, Harper, is that you?!" I said through the mic.
"Hello Mitchie!" I heard her yell, waving her hand to me.
"Oh my god, Harper it really is you!" I said, smiling brightly, extremely excited. "Guys, you give it up for my friend from High School right there in the front row, Harper Finkle!" the public started to cheer, but Harper looked inpatient.
"Not the time for cheers, Mitchie!" She yelled again, pointing at the back with her head. "If you don't do something fast, she'll leave!"
"What?!" I looked up from Harper, confused, and my eyes landed on a person moving in between the crowd. My eyes grew wide, as my heart started beating even faster. "Is it…?"
"Yes it is, NOW DO SOMETHING!" Harper yelled again, making the few people around her jump. That probably was the way she stole the sign. I nodded, calling the guy from the staff to bring back the guitar to me. As expected, everyone started to cheer again; probably glad the show was going to continue after this span of minutes lost. When the guy from the staff –I didn't know his name and I really felt awful about it– gave me the guitar, I looked back to the crowd again, seeing how the figure wearing a beige leather jack had made it almost all the way to the exit of the venue.
"Alexandra Russo, don't you dare moving from that spot." I said, without thinking, making it one of those moments when everything stops. She stopped in her tracks and slowly turned around, meeting my eyes. Everyone around just… disappeared. All the feelings that I had been hiding for three years just for the sake of my public image –I had to always keep the smile on my face, even when everything seemed wrong– came flooding, making me feel like I could break down right there in any moment.
When I broke up with Alex, my world came crashing down like I never expected it would do. Alex had been the only truth I had ever known, the only thing I knew I'd always have despite all of our differences. When I first went to California, despite her lack of support, I always told myself that if this didn't work out, I'd always have her and it'd be alright. So, when I lost her, everything else lost sense. I started questioning if I did right choosing my career over her; I started crying myself to sleep every night, spent my days writing songs about and for her, isolating myself from the world. I always would believe the success 'Don't Forget' had was because it showed all my deepest feelings in the most personal way, making it easier for the fans to relate with it.
My fingers trailed over the fret board, nervously. "This next song I want to play for you is about first love. That first crazy, frustrating and beautiful love." I kept my eyes on her, scared if I looked away she'd be gone. I couldn't miss this chance. "We had our ups and downs, yet there was never nor will ever be something that can compare to that first love and I guess that confirms that it is true. First loves are the only true ones in life, the rest, well, they're just to forget. This is Stop the World." And as I started playing, I got lost in the song, in her eyes, as I would do when it was just me and her in my room, sitting in my bed, instead of the hundreds of people in this venue.
Everyone had told me to forget about her. Even the Grays, the only ones that actually knew what was going on between Alex and I, didn't believe Alex was ever worth all the immense love I have for her. From the very beginning, when Nate signed me and I started leaving with him and his family, when Alex was completely against me living there to that day in Jones Beach when she got me so upset that made me break up with her, they all told me the same thing: You deserve something better. Their idea of something better, of course, was Shane Gray, Nate's oldest brother, who I knew from the very beginning I would never be able to look at as more than just my friend. However, I still gave myself a chance to try to date him, thing that resulted disastrous. From that, dating just seemed wrong to me. I probably had Alex so stuck in my heart that I made a million excuses to don't let go of whatever we ever had.
"Never wanna take the final look, I'll turn another page, won't close the book."
I kept my eyes on her as much as could, but her face was expressionless, just completely blank and I really didn't know what to think. Had she forgotten about me and that was the reason she had showed up to one of my concerts? Did she forget about all the promises we made back in the day when we were just two teenagers expecting to have the world, together? I was never able to forget them. She had been in my mind the last 3 years, everyday. I never called again because I had no right after the way I had talked to her when we broke up. I wrote On the Line because I thought that was the right thing to do in that moment. I never looked for her myself, instead of waiting for her to come to me, because my team would have never allowed it. They all thought it was better to have her out of my life –that way; I'd never have another reason to doubt of what I had to do for my job again–, but in the end it only had been worse, had been horrible. All this time something had been missing in my life and now that something was standing right in front of me, white as a ghost.
C'mon Lex, don't give up on me now. "I never forgot, Lex, I never did." I said, once I finished the song, the auditorium exploding in applauses and screams again. Alex looked at the floor, said nothing, did nothing. She looked up to me again, as the guitar was being taken from me and then left.
Just like that.
IIIIIIIIIIII
The show must go on.
That was what I told myself that day when Alex walked away from me. I held back the tears, silenced my shattered heart, put up a smile on my face and continued with the show. Thank god there were only a few more songs left after that happened. I stayed in New York for another two weeks, for the two shows in the Madison Square Garden and the release of my album. Those three days would have been the happiest days of my life if only she would have been on my side but no matter how it was, I really had nothing to do or say about this. After three years, I couldn't expect for her to fall to my feet after playing her one song I had written and played for her years before it even was released on an album. So I went on, played the shows on one of the most important venues of the world and bought two copies of my album at midnight, the day of release. I went to all important TV shows to promote it, received cheerfully all the critics and compliments I got for the album, played acoustic sets from my fans and always kept an smile on my face, as always. However, a few days before I had to go back to California, I mailed the second copy of my album I had bought to the Russo Family household, knowing real well Alex didn't live there anymore. I sent it, anyway, with a note that said "I made this for me, for you, for all the things we shared and had, for us. Enjoy it, Mitchie", not expecting any response out of it. I just wanted her to have it, because it would never get truer than that.
I had loved her from the very first day, on school, when she talked to me for the first time, and I would continue to do it until the moon stopped shining.
"Mitchie!" I heard a familiar male voice exclaim, being trapped in a bone-crushing hug soon after. It was a Friday. I was in the lobby of my hotel, waiting for my manager to finish whatever he was doing and we could leave to another interview I had. "Early Days is fantastic and I am so proud of you!"
I giggled, returning the hug. "Thank you, Shane, I did my best."
"You sure did, girl!" He said, pulling away and smiling. "All your hard work and dedication is paying off, Mitch. You're on top of the world right now, yet you have managed to stay exactly the same as the day we met, and I congratulate you for that, love." I smiled, mouthing a small thank you. "Now, are you ready to party?! I convinced Nate for once and he is coming with us to celebrate the success of your album! Can you imagine how fun this is going to be to actually see him try to dance?"
"I don't know, Shane, I don't think I'm up for parties right now…"
"Oh, c'mon Mitchie, don't be such a party pooper! You should be celebrating, not suffering for someone who clearly isn't worth it!" He placed his arm around my shoulder. "We have had this talk so many times before, Mitch. You could get anyone you wanted and you still waste your time on that girl!"
"If you weren't my friend, I would hit you."
"Oh, Mitchie, you have no idea of how many people out there want to hit him." I heard behind me, turning around and finding the youngest Gray walking to us, envelopes in his hands and smirk on his face.
"Psh, that's not true." Shane said, letting go of me and crossing his arms over his chest, making his brother raise an eyebrow.
"Is it necessary for me to mention all of your ex girlfriends, their friends and some other dudes you have pissed off, Shane?" I laughed, as Shane glared at Nate. My partner –that's how I liked to call Nate, since he had been the first and best support I had ever gotten– smiled at me and handed me the envelopes. "Your manager will be here any minute, but he told me to give you this. The first envelope is from the record company, you have broken another record. Early Days is a certified platinum album and you're getting the plaque for it as soon as you return to California; all information is inside the first envelope. Congratulations, Mitch."
My mouth dropped, excited. "Oh my god! That is completely awesome!" Shane exclaimed, giving me another hug.
"I know!"
"It really is exciting, but I don't think getting platinum album is as exciting as where the second envelope is from." Nate continued, with a calm expression in his face, still smirking. Shane and I looked at him confused.
"What are you talking about?"
"You've got fan mail, Mitchie." Nate simply said, taking from my hands the first envelope, letting into my view a sloppy handwriting I would have recognized everywhere. My heart stopped. "I saw that letter between all the fan mail and I couldn't stop myself but to bring it to you. Open it."
"Oh my god, is it from the Waverly Girl?" Shane asked and Nate rolled his eyes at him, giving him an answer I didn't understand nor hear. Hands shaking, my brain going nuts and my heart racing like mad, I opened the letter, hoping for the best, yet expecting the worst. I unfolded the sheet of paper, finding a very small message placed on the exact middle of the sheet.
I can act like a fucking mess sometimes, mostly when I'm in front of you, but Mitch, I would have stopped the world for you as well. I still would. Meet me for coffee this Friday? Same place as always. Just you, me and probably the baristas. We've got to talk, don't we? Let's make another dream come true.
I'll wait for you. Alex.
I looked up from the letter; my eyes meeting Nate's, who was smiling widely, like he'd never do. "Go get your girl, Mitch."
I smiled. Today was Friday; this letter had been sent on Tuesday. The date was today. "Can you…?"
"Don't worry; we'll handle this for you. Now, go."
"I love you guys!"
"We love you too, Mitch." Shane said, smiling.
I smiled and left the hotel, taking the first taxi I could take –thank god I still hadn't forgotten how to take them in this city– and went to that town that had so memories to hold for me. Fuck the world, this was much more important. Alex, the truest of all of my dreams, was all that mattered right now.
And I was more than okay with that.
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