Whoo! I love this story! Hope you all too! THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL THE FAVS/ALERTS etc. You all are wonderful =) I'm just happy I get to share this story with all of you! But enough, go and read on!

HEART WARS

chapter 2

pretty little lies

DAY ONE

"You have to be at school by 8:30am?"

Mitchie's gentle giggles filled his ears. This was no laughing matter! Everyone who knew him knew he was never out of bed until at least 10am! Even that was early to him. Then he had to fetch her at 2pm and take her to some other form of therapy until 4pm. And some days, he had to take her guide dog to the training clinic for some other odd reason. He had no idea how he was going to stick to this 'schedule' of hers.

Groaning, he placed the printout on the counter and took a bite of his Nutella flavoured ice-cream.

"It's not that bad," Mitchie remarked, the plastic spoon still in her mouth as she swallowed a spoonful of her white chocolate ice-cream. He still couldn't believe she was blind. It didn't seem possible for such a bright, cheery and energetic young girl. But the sight of Anakin made it real to him as he lapped up his personal dish of melted vanilla ice-cream.

"How old are you Mitchie?" he asked as he found himself unable to make a guess. While she had the features of a young teen, something about her entire attitude made her seem older than what she appeared.

"I'll be seventeen in two months."

His eyes widened, she was still so young! He shook his head and went back to his ice-cream, focusing his attention on the heavenly looking substance. His head was still spinning.

"Why you shaking your head?"

What. She saw that?

"How?" he mumbled, frowning at her. How could she be blind but see that he'd shaken his head?

Mitchie smiled wistfully, "I have a special case. I can't see anything, but I can see movement. There is some scientific name for my case, but I can never remember it. It's like I'm that super-hero, Daredevil. Just my other senses aren't as heightened. I wasn't exactly exposed to radioactive chemicals when I was younger."

Shane hesitantly waved his hand and Mitchie returned the wave, smiling as she did so. But then, he remained motionless and blinked.

"Can you see me blinking?"

She shook her head, "It's too small of a movement. It has to generate more energy in order for my other senses to pick it up too. All my senses work in unison to create the movement I 'see'. Otherwise I'd only be-able to see huge movements, such as a skyscraper collapsing." She chuckled, "But not like that's going to happen."

Shane shook his head, "Well, at least I hope it doesn't… how long have you been blind for?"

"Six months."

He could feel the hurt in her voice and immediately he felt sympathy for the teen. She'd been able to see once. Able to see everything the world offered, but then it'd been taken away from her. He decided not to ask more.

"So, your parents are completely okay with you staying with me?"

Mitchie kept quiet and he noticed that she immediately gained a frown. Was this another tender subject?

"They don't mind," she spoke in an uncertain tone, "They're…" Shane instantly understood. Her parents were not in this world anymore or she just didn't want anything to do with them anymore. Maybe they'd been part of the reason she'd lost her sight.

"You still have that shaggy hair?" she asked, trying to lighten the mood. He nodded, hoping she could 'see' his movement. She did. "Can I feel? I've always wanted to you know." He found that he couldn't deny her request.

"Sure, just don't pull anything out," and he reached over to take her hand. It felt so soft and delicate in his own. He then touched her hand to his long, straightened locks and released her hand. Her fingers curled around a lock and she twirled it. He saw the movement out of the corner of his eye, but he was more interested in her expression. She was smiling again as she felt more and more of his hair and this caused him to smile.

"It's as soft as it looks, didn't expect that one," she spoke as she pulled her hand back. "You ever going to cut it?"

"Nah, I think I'm going to grow it long enough to make a cool Mohawk." She laughed at this.

He checked his watch, it was nearly 1:30, almost time for her therapy session.

"We should get going, I don't want you to be late for your therapy thing," he said while standing. Mitchie nodded and stood. Anakin stood too, obviously trained to follow her movements. She grabbed his hot pink leash and followed Shane as he went to pay for the ice-cream.

The cashier didn't even give them a second glance. She was used to famous people frequenting the parlor.

Anakin stuck close by his side as they walked and he assumed it was to lead Mitchie in the right direction. Wow, these guide dogs really were clever.

"So, where is this therapy place?" he asked as they entered his white Mercedes, Anakin jumping into the back seat. He inwardly groaned… there went his leather seats.

"Why are you asking the blind girl?"

HEART WARS

They'd stopped for directions about three times and had taken many wrong turns before finally finding the Palm Woods Therapy Centre for the Disabled. It was a pretty welcoming looking place and various people with various disabilities littered the front entrance. It almost seemed like a high-school.

Anakin eagerly barked out the window as he tail wagged faster than the eye could follow. Another bark answered and Shane assumed that he had friends here.

He was already moving to open his door when Mitchie spoke, "You know, at the center, they encourage our guardians to attend the session with us…" She was fidgeting with the hem of her shirt and looking out of her window, at the center as she spoke. He also caught the nervousness in her voice. "But you don't have to if you don't want to. I mean, the girls will go mad when they see you. No-one is ever really put in the care of someone famous."

He sighed and shook his head. "I actually have some things to do." He realized that his comment sounded harsher than expected. "But, I'll be here to pick you up," he offered, not daring to look at her crest-fallen expression. Her disappointment was evident. Even Anakin had ceased panting.

"Yeah, so I'll see you at 4 then." It was rhetorical.

Mitchie made a hasty exit out of the car and opened the door for Anakin to jump out. Then, with practiced steps, the guide dog led her inside the centre.

He watched her go until she was inside the building and then started his car again. He had to go and talk to Joshua. How was he going to look after a blind teenage girl and her dog for a whole two months? He had never been cut out for this type of thing.

His mind was filled with questions as he reached the recording studio. He had to talk to Joshua about this. He had to get out of this.

The guards didn't even question him as he stalked into the building, hands in his pockets and a grim expression on his face.

The receptionist cowered when he entered and told him that Joshua wasn't in any form of meeting so he could go right ahead. He nodded and then strode purposefully towards the office.

He would've been able to deal with the dog just fine, but a girl too? Not to mention a blind girl. He sighed as he didn't even bother to knock before he entered the office. The receptionist had said Joshua was free so why bother?

"I was wondering when you'd come by…" the elder man sighed as he leaned his elbows against his desk, watching Shane with careful eyes. He'd been expecting him earlier.

"A blind girl? Really." Shane snorted as he didn't even bother to sit. He didn't plan on being here long. All he wanted was to get himself out of the deal and then he'd leave.

"Well, it's about time you started caring for someone other than yourself," Joshua shrugged as he leaned back into his revolving chair. "She was the perfect candidate. It was either this or I kick you out of the band. Your behavior is getting out of hand. You may be a rock-star, but you're also a role-model." His eyes focused on the silver purity ring adorning Shane's left ring finger. He briefly wondered if it was still only there for show.

Shane felt his gaze and his finger burned. The ring was still there for a reason. He'd kept the promise he and his brothers had made all those years back.

"Can't you teach me some other way?"

"Like how? Replace you on the band and let you watch?"

The tension the room could be sliced through with a knife.

"You do know that I'm the main reason people buy our albums right?" Shane hissed as his eyes narrowed. "I'm the most liked and we all know that. Replace me and sales will plummet."

Joshua chuckled and Shane felt his eyes widen.

"You really do think the world revolves around you, don't you?" he shook his head, "People have begun to notice your behavior rock-star and your popularity is dropping. But you're too self-centered to notice."

For the second time that day, Shane was rendered speechless.

"Didn't expect to hear that, did you? Well, it's time to face the truth. Start taking responsibility and clean your act."

"Haven't you noticed that I happen to be a guy and I don't know, you're letting an underage girl stay with me?" He wouldn't dare of doing anything to Mitchie, but it was a reasonable question.

Joshua sighed as he bit his lip uncomfortably, "Your purity ring was the only thing that convinced them, the organization that looks after Mitchie. I stuck my neck out for you too. And Anakin has been specially trained for those sorts of circumstances and Mitchie has a panic button."

"I still can't believe this."

"Well, you better. This is your last-

Shane didn't allow him to finish the rest of his speech as he turned and walked out of the office.

HEART WARS

"Looks like he really did forget hey Ani," Mitchie sighed as she sat on the curb, Anakin next to her.

Her therapy session had ended over an hour ago and most of the people had already left. Not to mention it was beginning to get cooler and she had no jacket. Luckily, Anakin offered some warmth. She shook her head as she shivered, snuggling her one shoulder more into Anakin's fur.

She shouldn't really be surprised that he'd forgotten her. It wasn't like he'd volunteered to look after her after all and Joshua had told her that he wasn't really the 'caring' type. Right now, she wished that she'd refused the offer. The prize wasn't worth it.

She could've been back home at the moment, in little Anaheim, with her parents. Her mom would be cooking and her father would be listening to the news report. Ani would be snuggled up on the couch beside her instead of on the pavement. Her parents had warned her about this, about living with a rebellious rock-star but she hadn't listened.

And now she was learning the hard way that not everyone could be helped.

Anakin's soft whimper brought her back to her senses and she leaned her head against his fuzzy shoulder.

"I know boy, I'm just as hungry and cold as you are," she whispered and ran a hand over his body. She'd fallen in love with him the moment she'd touched him six months ago and they'd been inseparable ever since.

A soft, yet chilling breeze wafted by and Mitchie shivered as strands of her hair were picked up. Why had she thought that this would've been a good idea? Maybe because six months ago, when she'd been able to see, she'd fallen in love with the Shane Gray portrayed all over the media.

He was the skinny-jean wearing, purity-ring owning rock-star that had morals, unlike most stars theses days and whenever he was in a concert, he'd sung from his heart. The lyrics he sang weren't about getting with every sexy girl he saw, they were about finding the girl you found beautiful and being in love with her. He sang about having a good time with his friends, just without the booze.

In interviews… he sounded so sincere, so honest that she'd constantly found herself day-dreaming of one day meeting the singer and then they'd fall madly in love and he'd write the most beautiful songs about her and the bond they shared.

But dreams like that… just didn't come true.

She should be the first to know that.

She'd been day-dreaming about a boy who didn't even know of her existence when there'd been the sweetest boys in her school wanting to ask her out. But she'd ignored them all, determined that one day, she'd meet Shane.

The loss of her vision had taught her to become a realist.

But now she wasn't sure what she should be. A realist or a dreamer? She'd finally met Shane and was about to spend the next two months with him, but he'd changed to the point that he wasn't the person he'd made himself out to be.

Whipping her head up, she caught the movement of an incoming car and Anakin was immediately on his feet.

The car stopped and she heard a door slam, followed by incoming, racing footsteps. It was Shane. She could tell it from his static figure in front of her. While she couldn't make out things such as facial features or clothes, she could see his over-all outline. She looked up at him, her glassy eyes emotionless as she sensed his ragged breathing.

"I'm so, so, so sorry," he panted as she sensed his outstretched hand. She grasped it, after fumbling for a little, and he pulled her to his feet. She wasn't sure what to say to him so she simply nodded, biting her lip.

"It's okay." She'd become a good liar.

"No, it's not…" Shane half-whispered and she could feel his apology through every sense. He really was sorry.

She couldn't stay mad at him.

"How can I make it up to you?"

She felt a smile curving her lips, "Chocolate always helps."

How'd you like? Whoop, Shane's certainly in for the time of his life! Also, the whole her living with him thing, think of it like an exchange? Besides, he's famous so if he did something to Mitchie, it'd ruin his career completely! And hey, Ani's there for her protection!

Reviews? Please and thank you =)

Lorey

Xoxo

PS: Love to all my silent readers too! =)