It's the weekend. So here's chapter 3 as promised. :)
For Hannah & Tina. Just because. :D
"Shane?"
"Mom?"
"Are you decent?"
Shane rolled his eyes. "Mom, are you kidding me? You practically gave me a bath this morning!"
"I know that! But are you?!"
"Yes!" Shane sighed.
"Good because there's someone here to see you."
3. Shane & Mitchie
Shane watched the door slowly open and his mother popped her head in. She smiled at him, feeling oh-so-grateful her son was still alive. Broken, but breathing.
"Look who's here!" she chirped as she walked in with Mitchie following close behind.
Shane's face lit up. And he even felt his heart flutter a little. Again, if he could stand up he would. That's how happy he was to see Mitchie.
But Mitchie, on the other hand, looked so glum with her eyes on the floor and staying close behind Mrs. Gray.
There was an awkward silence in the room. Mrs. Gray eyed the two youngsters, Mitchie still staring at the floor and Shane just…just staring at Mitchie.
Mrs. Gray cleared her throat. Shane looked at her and shooed her away.
She pointed at Mitchie. "What about her?!" she mouthed.
"I'll be fine!" Shane mouthed back in frustration. He really wanted to stand up now and shove his mother out the room. "Go!"
"Scream if she does anything to you!" Mrs. Gray mouthed again before she closed the door behind her.
Then it was just Shane and Mitchie in his bedroom. And the humongous elephant in the room.
"Erm…"
Mitchie looked up, straight at him. Shane saw her eyes – they had that certain look she had when she knows something but just cannot say it. Did he mention they were red and swollen too? Well, they were.
Mitchie's eyes moved from his face down to his two broken legs propped up on pillows on the bed. "Oh God! He looks awful!
"Mitchie?" Shane said, warmly.
Why was he being nice to her after everything she's done? She could not put up with the guilt anymore and just started sobbing there like a toddler whose favourite toy had been taken away.
"Shane! I'm so so so sorry! I don't know why tripping you sounded like a good idea!"
"So she really did trip me?!" Shane thought.
"I didn't think you were going to end up unconscious…and get both your legs broken! But I swear, I didn't mean to! And I'm really really really sorry!"
Mitchie apologizing to him? Wow…that was a first!
"It's just that…you're an ass! Maybe you don't know that, so I'm telling you now. You are!"
Shane's eyebrows furrowed. "Shoot! She thinks I'm an ass! Now how and where am I going to start telling her that I like her? Love her?!"
"And you're this obnoxious popstar who think he's too cool for…for…for anything!"
"No, I'm not!" Shane wanted to blurt out and defend himself…But Mitchie was looking kind of cute this way. So he let her go on.
"And you're a huge flirt!"
"So?"
"And I hate you!"
"Why?!"
"No, I don't! Maybe I do…a little…I hate you for being all those awful awful things! I mean, puh-lease Shane! You're no better than anyone, okay?!"
"Okay…"
"But to me, you are. You're better than all the rest. In fact, you're perfect! Because I love you! And I always have!"
"Wow!"
"And you're stupid for not seeing that!"
"I know, Mitchie!"
"But as messed up as you are, I really do love you. I don't know why, but I do. I hate you for doing this to me! And I possibly hate myself too but that's really not the point…"
Mitchie took a deep breath. She was crying so hard now she could barely get a word out. Shane just wanted to hug her right then and there.
"I totally understand if you don't feel the same way." she started calmly, wiping her cheeks with her hands. "I mean, we've been best friends since Adam and Eve."
Hearing these things made feel Shane a little lightheaded. But good.
"I just came here to say that I'm really sorry. For being such a b*tch of a best friend and for tripping you. I know 'sorry' won't be enough. If you want me to, I'll roll down the stairs and…"
"You don't have to do that, Mitchie." Shane cut her off, looking and smiling at her goofily.
"Man, he must be under a huge amount of painkillers!" Mitchie thought. "Okay, good. Because I seriously don't want to do that." she said, relieved.
Shane smiled. "I know. No one really wants to fall down the stairs." he joked.
Mitchie winced, feeling guilty again.
"I mean, seriously. I wouldn't wish it on anyone." Shane said. "And besides, it's sort of my fault too."
"Huh?"
"I did see you stick your foot out there…"
"What?!"
"I tripped over your foot…intentionally…sort of."
"Why the hell did you do that?! What on earth were you thinking?!" Mitchie yelled again after a moment of silence.
"Wow, you switched back to the old Mitchie pretty fast!"
"Shane?!" Mitchie said, crossing her arms and tapping her foot on the floor. She didn't just expose her vulnerable self to him and humiliate herself after feeling so guilty for thinking all this was her fault! Now she wanted to break both his arms as well!
"Because…" he sighed. "I love you, too."
Silence.
"Did I hear that right or am I imagining things?!"
"I said I love you, Mitchie." Shane repeated, trying to get her to say something. Anything.
Mitchie still didn't move or say a word.
"I guess I let you trip me because I used to subconsciously love you…but now I really do."
Mitchie still couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"Me not dying is just a minor consolation to everything that has happened. The realization that I honestly love you is of much importance to me here than anything else. If I didn't do that…and if you didn't do that…we wouldn't be here right now. I realized in my twenty four hours of loneliness that I missed you. And not just miss you because you're my best friend. But really miss you. Like I thought about what life would be like without you…and I don't like it. I'd rather die, Mitchie."
"Don't say that."
"I'm serious. And after hearing what you just said…I think the fall is so worth it." Shane said, smiling at her.
"Wow…" Mitchie whispered. "So…you love me…"
"And you love me…"
"Which means…"
"We love each other?"
Mitchie and Shane break out in fits of laughter. It was funny how they saw each other in a different light yet somehow things were still the same.
"Really?" Mitchie blushed.
Shane nodded and giggled.
Mitchie slowly walked closer to him. It felt so awkward but it was like her legs had minds of their own. And they were slowly taking her towards Shane.
Shane – her best friend.
Shane – who finally figured out how he felt about her.
Shane – the boy she loved.
Shane – the boy who loved her back.
It was all too unbelievable!
Shane held out his hand as she drew nearer and Mitchie held out hers.
Finally, their hands touched.
Mitchie carefully sat on the space next to Shane on his bed. She was afraid she might hurt him again. Not intentionally, of course.
"Wow." they both thought to themselves.
"Do you feel weird?" Mitchie asked.
"Yep. The good kind of weird though." Shane replied. "You?"
"Same thing." Mitchie could not get over how giddy she felt right now.
"Don't you think it's so cool?" Shane started. "We're best friends and more than friends at the same time."
"Who said we're more than friends?"
Shane looked at her, puzzled. "But I thought…I thought…we loved each other?"
"Yes. But…we're making it official?" Mitchie said, hoping he'd say yes.
"Duh."
"Duh?" Fair enough.
"So, what do you say?" Shane asked, hoping she would agree with him.
"I think…it wouldn't hurt to try."
Then they were staring at each other – seeing each other's faces as the best friend they had always known and loved…and something else. Something they couldn't quite point out. But it was something good. Maybe it was love. True love. They were young…and unquestionably naïve. But they hoped it was something that could last until the end of time. Or possibly beyond it.
Their faces inched closer.
And then they shared another first together.
Their first kiss.
THE END...I'm not kidding this time. :(
"I can't begin to explain how lucky it is to find someone you can love that much and who, miracle of miracles, loves you that much back." - Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas
Cheesy? I know! :))
I'm sorry! I'm listening to old love songs from the 50s and 60s right now. :P
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