A/N I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!
A few hours later Mitchie started to stir. She opened her eyes at Shane smiling at her.
"Hi." She said softly.
"Hey, you feel better?"
"Yeah a lot better. Thank you."
"You're welcome. Your mom made some soup if you want it."
"Not right now. Were you there the whole time?"
"You asked me to be."
You really are the best boyfriend do you know that?"
He just smiled and kissed her head.
"OH SO NOW MY DAUGHTER GETTNG SICK IS MY FAULT?"
"STOP YELLING SHE IS SLEEPING!"
"YELLING IS THE ONLY WAY YOU WILL LISTEN TO ME!"
"I'LL LISTEN TO YOU WHEN YOU SAY SOMETHING TRUTHFUL OR HONEST TO SAY."
Mitchie sighed. "I hate when they fight. I wish they would stop."
"So tell them that."
"In case you haven't noticed Shane I'm not very good at standing up to them."
"Mitchie you're a rock star use it. If you can't tell your parents how you feel then sing it to them. Make them listen."
"Will you help me?"
"Of course."
Mitchie grabbed her song book and pen. Shane grabbed their guitars.
"So what do you want to say?"
"I just want us to go back to the way we used to me. I want us to become like the family everyone sees in the pictures we send."
"Family portrait perfect."
"What?"
"All right Mitchie close your eyes and just write from your heart."
Mitchie did as he said. Although she opened her eyes after a few seconds but once she started writing she couldn't stop. The words just started to flow. Finally they were done. She let Shane read it.
"Mitchie this is great. You want to add the music?"
She nodded. He handed her back the book and set the tune on his guitar. He softly started to play. She softly started to sing. Once they got all the words and music done they went over it a couple more times.
"Shane I'm ready."
"Ok then. Let's go."
Shane took his guitar in one hand and grabbed Mitchie's hand with the other. They walked into the kitchen where her parents were still fighting. They stopped when they saw Mitchie.
"I need to talk to both of you. It's really important. In the living room."
"Sure sweetie."
Connie and Steve followed Shane and Mitchie into the living room. Mitchie sat on the couch. Shane sat next to her. Her parents sat on the coffee table in front of them. "I needed a way to tell you guys how I feel and Shane helped me figure out a way how. This is what I came up with."
Shane softly started to play and Mitchie started to sing. "Momma please stop cryin, I can't stand the sound
Your pain is painful and its tearin' me down
I hear glasses breakin as I sit up in my bed
I told dad you didn't mean those nasty things you
said
You fight about money, bout me
And this I come home to, this is my shelter
It ain't easy growin up in World War III
Never knowin what love could be, you'll see
I don't want love to destroy me like it has done
my family
Can we work it out? Can we be a family?
I promise I'll be better, Mommy I'll do anything
Can we work it out? Can we be a family?
I promise I'll be better, Daddy please don't
leave
Daddy please stop yellin, I can't stand the sound
Make mama stop cryin, cuz I need you around
My mama she loves you, no matter what she says
its true
I know that she hurts you, but remember I love
you, too
I ran away today, ran from the noise, ran away
Don't wanna go back to that place, but don't have
no choice, no way
It ain't easy growin up in World War III
Never knowin what love could be, well I've seen
I don't want love to destroy me like it did my
family
Can we work it out? Can we be a family?
I promise I'll be better, Mommy I'll do anything
Can we work it out? Can we be a family?
I promise I'll be better, Daddy please don't
leave
In our family portrait, we look pretty happy
Let's play pretend, let's act like it comes
naturally
I don't wanna have to split the holidays
I don't want two addresses
I don't want a step-brother anyways
And I don't want my mom to have to change her
last name
In our family portrait we look pretty happy
We look pretty normal, let's go back to that
In our family portrait we look pretty happy
Let's play pretend, act like it goes naturally
In our family portrait we look pretty happy
(Can we work it out? Can we be a family?)
We look pretty normal, let's go back to that
(I promise I'll be better, Mommy I'll do
anything)
In our family portrait we look pretty happy
(Can we work it out? Can we be a family?)
Let's play pretend act and like it comes so
naturally
(I promise I'll be better, Daddy please don't
leave)
In our family portrait we look pretty happy
(Can we work it out? Can we be a family?)
We look pretty normal, let's go back to that
(I promise I'll be better, Daddy please don't
leave)
Daddy don't leave
Daddy don't leave
Daddy don't leave
Turn around please
Remember that the night you left you took my
shining star?
Daddy don't leave
Daddy don't leave
Daddy don't leave
Don't leave us here alone
Mom will be nicer
I'll be so much better,
Oh, I won't spill the milk at dinner
I'll be so much better, I'll do everything right
I'll be your little girl forever
I'll go to sleep at night"
Mitchie stopped as her eyes filled with tears. Shane squeezed her hands. "Good job baby."
"Do you see what I'm trying to say?" she asked her parents.
"Of course," Steve answered. "Your mother is the problem and you think I'll leave her because of it."
Mitchie's mouth went wide. She had just sung out her heart and soul and her father just crushed it.
"No Steve she is saying we are both at fault and we need to stop fighting and to go back to the way we used to me." Connie said.
"That's not what she is saying Connie."
"Yes it is Steve."
"NO! This was supposed to make you stop fighting not make you start!" Mitchie cried.
"We're sorry sweetie. That song was beautiful and we are sorry for fighting like that. We promise to try and work things out." Connie said rubbing her daughter's leg.
"I'm not sorry. I haven't done anything wrong but yes Honey your mother will work on agreeing with me."
"You're at fault too dad. You both are. Just grow up and stop acting like babies." Mitchie said.
She got up and ran back into her room. Shane went after her. Connie looked at Steve and just glared. She too ran after her daughter. As she reached her room she saw her crying into Shane's chest.
"Mitchie…"
Mitchie looked up.
"That song you wrote was amazing. I'm sorry your father reacted like he did. You were right. Your father and I need to work this out and stop fighting. I promise you baby I will do everything in my power to work this out with your father."
"Ok mom. Thank you."
"I love you baby and I never wanted to hurt you."
"I know mom. I love you too."
"Do you need anything?"
"No I'm ok now."
Connie smiled at her daughter and walked out.
"I hope this changes things." She told Shane.
"I'm sure it will. But Mitchie you do understand divorce might be the only way to change things?"
"I know…as much as it scares me I know."
Shane pulled her into his arms and held her.
"I'm here, just remember that I'm here."
Mitchie clung to him but relaxed as he started to sing. Hopefully things wouldn't be so bad.
As the week went by school stayed the same. The kids picked on her but Shane stood up for her. Her parents seemed to stop fighting a little bit which was nice. Friday though…everything changed.
Mitchie walked out of her last class and into the parking lot where she was meeting Shane. She saw her father waiting for them with another women…a women who wasn't her mother? Her father was very close to this girl. They were hugging. She walked over to her father.
"Dad who is this?"
They pulled back from the hug.
"Mitchie this is just a friend from work. She's going through a hard time right now so I gave her a hug no big deal."
"Dad she smells like raspberries and lemons."
"Mitchie look she is a hurting friend that needed a hug. Nothing more."
"Promise?"
Steve was quiet for a moment. He never broke a promise to her before.
"I promise."
"Ok, I believe you."
"Good, no need to tell your mom either. She will just over react again and we will fight. I know you don't want that."
"Ok I won't tell mom."
Just then Shane walked over.
"What's going on?"
"Nothing. Let's go home."
Steve led the kids into the car and drove home. Once they arrived home they saw Connie struggling with some trays of food. Shane jumped out of the car and rushed to help her.
"Thanks Shane."
"No problem Mrs. Torres."
Shane set them down in the back of the van.
"How would you feel about helping me today?"
"What?"
"Well some of these trays are really heavy and I need someone strong to help me deliver them. You can wear a hat and sun glasses if you want I just really need some help."
Shane looked at Mitchie. "Are you ok with it?"
"Sure go on."
"Ok then. Let's go."
Shane and Connie left. Mitchie looked at her dad.
"I'm going to start my homework."
"All right kiddo."
Mitchie and her father headed inside and Mitchie went to her room to do her homework. During that time she heard the doorbell ring. She ignored it figuring her father would get it and knew that it wouldn't be for her. She finished up her homework and went into the kitchen in search of some dinner. Then she heard a strange noise coming from her father's room. She went over and knocked on the door.
"Dad are you ok in there?"
She got no answer. She opened the door and gasped. Her eyes filled with tears as she started to shake.
"Dad how could you?"
A/N what did Mitchie see? Will she tell her mom and Shane when they return? Find out in the next chapter.