"Nate!" She yelled, barging through the double doors, not even bothering to knock. She didn't do it intentionally, she was just too happy by her brilliant idea to contain her excitement. They had gone past this formality when they became best friends at 14 years old shooting for that movie, anyway. That movie changed her life. She was no longer 'unkown' after that. She was either known as 'the girl with the voice' or Connect 3's it girl. What the latter meant, she was still trying to figure out. "I have this awesome ide-aa" She stops on her tracks, the bile rising to her throat and her enthusiasm sinking when she sees someone else in the dressing room. Someone who isn't Nate.
It's him. With her.
Mitchie's feet remained glued to the ground for a couple of seconds, staring right at Shane and his 'girlfriend'. She wasn't doing it intentionally, but Shane kept staring back, annoyed? She wasn't sure and she was definitely past that phase where she cared about what he liked and disliked, what was annoying to him and what wasn't. His eyes were dark. From the lust he had for her or for the anger he had towards Mitchie for interrupting their moment, Mitchie didn't know for sure. She didn't care. She had to keep reminding herself that. It was only when Mitchie eyes fell on Francesca that she swallowed the excess saliva in her mouth. Her brunette hair looked like it had just competed in a wrestling match, scrunched up in some places and stuck to the pale skin on her neck and cheek on others which were occupied by Shanes mouth just a couple of seconds ago before Mitchie abruptly interrupted them.
Mitchie could feel the tints of rose colour her cheeks as she looked down, embarrassed. The embarrassment came naturally to her. It was like a habit now, like a every day chore. Her head turned to the floor, staring at her dancing toes, not sure of what to say. "I uh.." she cleared her throat, trying to make the bitterness in her voice not so apparent. "Nate. I was looking for Nate." She told the two lovers. "Frankie told me he saw Nate in here..." Her voice defeated her, cracking in the end and she shook her head, trying to shake away all the bitter memories and bad thoughts that had made its habitat there. "I'll leave now." She announced to no one in particular, speaking mostly to herself as she met the gaze of the guy who had stolen her smile and had once stolen her heart.
Shanes eyebrows raised together, a amused expression taking over his perfect features as Francesca turned her attention back to her boyfriend, brushing away the short curls that covered his beautiful brown eyes, completely forgetting the girl that had walked in on them making out. "Close the door behind you!" He ordered, loud enough for his once best friend to hear. Hearing didn't mean she did it. That was another phase that she had gone past. She wasn't going to listen to his orders, requests or wants anymore. She was her own person. She did what she thought was right, yet didn't do everything she wanted to. Her life was complicated. Like a jigsaw puzzle who has a piece missing and can never be completed again.
He wasnt that missing piece.
He was the one who took that piece away from her.
She took the turn on the corridor, leading her backstage from where she could hear the dancers rehearsing for the show tonight. Her head fell back against the wall and she closed her eyes, calming her breathing, trying to calm her nerves. It never happens though. Its like every time she see's him, the past flashes in front of her. The past couple of months replay in front of her eyes like someone was rewinding her life, taking a look at the good and the bad. She saw the time when they would sit by the shore for hours in the middle of the night, not speaking a word, just the silence enough for them to understand each and every thought going through the others head. Or the time when he intentionally gave her the bad microphone so that when they performed in front of the audience hers refused to work. He thought it was a joke and they wouldn't stop talking about it for weeks. But that was months ago, it feels like years to her. She sometimes wonders if he still remembers any of that, and partly wishes he doesn't because that would make her want to stand him again, it would want her to miss the old Shane again, and she wouldn't let herself to that. Not after all that he had done to her.
Then she thought about the first time they kissed, the first time he held her like she meant more to him than just his best friend and the time that changed everything. And if any of those thoughts never crossed her mind whenever she saw him and Francesca, one thought definitely did - that evening. It was kind of ironic how one relationship can change and your relationship with everyone else changes. But again, this is Hollywood. This is how it works.
"Oh, Mitch...you're here!" Her eyes opened at the sound of Nates voice approaching her. She steadied herself, standing straight as he comes up to her and offers her a small smile. "Frank said you were looking for up? You better hurry though cause they're gonna call you on stage any minute."
Even though Nate is friendly, Mitchie cant help but think about how distant he is to her. She regrets it now - giving Shane more importance than him, and being responsible for slowly pushing him away from her. She sighs and smiles ever so lightly. If seen from far away, the small twitch on the sides of her lips wouldn't have been visible, but these are the efforts of trying to bring one of your best friends back to your life, she thinks. She was angry with him. She hadn't seen him since the painful break-up and he hadn't even made an effort call her. But now she realises that it isnt his fault that his brother is an ass and even though she is still mad at him, she can never hate him like she hates his brother.
Then again, they have to spend the next three months together on this damn tour, and having one more friendly face would make it a little easier.
Sometimes Nate doesnt know how to act around her. Like now, should he put his hand on her shoulder and ask whats wrong? Not that he needs to guess. He hates seeing her like this. She acts like she doesnt care, but he knows she does. She acts like Shane doesn't bother her, but Nate knows that Shane is the poison that is being fed to her every single day. He wants his happy best friend back, the girl who seemed too perfect to be true for him. The girl who's musical talent used to blow him away, the girl who he swore if anyone hurt, he'd break their bones. He scoffed at how ironic it was that his brother was responsible for that and yet he hadn't even laid a finger on him.
"Yeah!" Mitchie exclaimed, the excitement returning to her voice again. Nate watched her face light up, wondering what it was that made her so happy, excited and nervous all at the same time. "So, you know we wrote Stop The World together, right? So I was wondering how absolutely cool it would be if we perform it together at tonight's show. I mean...You know all the lyrics, all the keys, everything about that song. It will be awesome!" She exclaimed a little too excitedly, hoping Nate would agree. She knows she's not actually as excited as she's acting to be and knows Nate is aware of that but they both know it's an effort to try and rekindle their broken friendship, strengthen the bonds, so Nate agrees. He doesn't want to upset her anymore and doesn't want to see that disappointed expression plastered on her face which he knows will be covered by a fake smile if he says no. He wouldn't say no though, not to her. He wouldn't let anyone else from his family upset her anymore. Not anymore.
Mitchie can see the surprised expression on Shanes face as he watches his kid brother and her sing along to the song that once meant something to them from backstage. Other than the surprise on Shanes face, his face is emotionless. The audience at soundcheck cannot see Shane from their positions infront of the stage because if they did then that would have been a headlining topic it self. Mitchie can just imagine it now 'Shane Gray watches his ex and his brother sing their hearts out in what could be Hollywood's next big romance.' The thought of Nate and her together amuses Mitchie. Its not that it had never crossed her mind, of course it had, specially when you have huge signs saying 'Team Nitchie' shoved into your faces every single day, and with her and Nate now singing this song together, it would definitely add fuel to rumours of 'Nitchie' happening.
Not that it is, no. She doesn't know how Nate feels, because they aren't as close as they used to be and this topic is too embarrassing and complicated for her to deal with. She'd never get involved with a Gray brother again, she promised herself, never again.
"We cant stop the world, but there's so much more that we could cant stop this girl from falling more in love with you." She looks towards Nate who is strumming his guitar and gives her a encouraging nod. She nods back, focusing her attention on the audience that had gone wild when Nate joined her on stage for this song. She can only imagine how much of a hit it will be when they perform it together in the actual show in the evening. She cant help but turn her head towards the stage door where Shane had been standing a couple of seconds ago at the next part of the song. 'You said nobody has to know give us time to grow and take it I'd stop the world if they finally let us be alone. Let us be alone...Let us be alone…" She finishes the song with her head still turned towards the stage door, but he's gone. A part of her thinks it was her imagination that Shane was standing there while they were singing, but she knows she hasn't gone that crazy yet.
New story.
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