ALRIGHT THIS IS LATE. I am sorry but I didn't count with my teachers being so mean to me and giving us so much homework due tomorrow, so I apologize for not putting up last night. So this is the final chapter, I hope you enjoyed the thoughts of my 15 years old self. The song this was based on, if you didn't figure it out yet, was I'd Lie by Taylor Swift, which I like to sing saying the drums instead of guitar. You should check it out just for the purpose of this story if you want to; it's a pretty cool song.

Thank you so much for the reviews, favorite and alerts this story got, I appreciate very much!

NOTE: thanks for letting now know for the recurrent mistake I did, I was writing it in the middle of the night and was very tired, so I probably just started translating textually. I edited what I found, but I'm in school and I'm not sure if it was all, so let me know if you see more mistakes, I'll check it when I get home. :)

Enjoy! :D

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.

CHAPTER III

The Talent Show

Like I mentioned at the beginning, when a girl is in love, she'd do the impossible for that someone to look at her and like her the way she likes that someone. But when, no matter how hard she tries, this doesn't happen, she decides to take a greater risk: ask that someone herself.

Have you ever seen a girl declaring her love for someone? It's something that doesn't happen very often. Usually, the girl is encouraged by her friends to go ahead and do it, telling her that the worst thing that can happen is that someone says no –thing that, must be mentioned, if you are the girl in love, is the most tragic thing that could happen–. After a few minutes of insisting, the girl accepts and walks to wherever the reason of all her sleepless nights is, probably completely embarrassed as she blushes. However, if she's shy, she'll end up crying her eyes out if that someone says no but if the girl is confident, she'll leave with her head up and pretending she doesn't care if she gets a no, knowing way too well that she'll be crying in the arms of her best friend when nobody can see her.

And that, my friends, is the most common version of 'How does a girl declare her love for someone' and the two possible outcomes. Nevertheless, sometimes the girl in love finds herself being completely obligated, thanks to her best guy friend, to tell the person she likes what she feels for her, in a little unusual way and in front of at least three hundred people, so that way, the sister of the girl previously mentioned doesn't kill her best friend, who results to be the girl expressing her feelings through a song and a guitar.

Alright, it is possible that my 'sometimes' was a 'this time' but I didn't see the need to remind myself that it was possible that my best friend decided to stop talking to me for a long time or, even better, just kill me.

It was a Friday, June 18th, the day of the Talent Show. Everything ended here. The last two weeks of locking myself with Shane in the music room of my school and practice the song that talked about my deepest feelings that had been a result of the locking was going to be shown to the world that day. All those feelings that I had collected and hided for the last couple of months were going to be revealed tonight and I wouldn't be able to go back anymore. I took a deep breath. I was backstage the school theater, waiting for the moment to come.

"I can't believe you are using a dress." Said a very family voice behind me. I looked up and saw my best friend through the mirror in front of me, wearing a strapless white dress long to her knees with black details, straightened hair adorned with a very small white bow, which gave a nice contrast to her dark hair.

I was wearing a black dress with thin straps, long to my knees as well, having a pink ribbon in the waist, using my old black high heels I would rarely use, combined with a natural looking make up and my dark and wavy brown hair down, with a few defined curls here and there. I made my chair turn around and I giggled.

"Hello Mikayla, I am glad to see you too, my friend." I said, greeting her as she rolled her eyes, sitting on the chair next to me. "Are you ready to make the crowd go wild?" Mikayla nodded, being that simple gesture enough for me to notice how nervous she really was.

"Doing this without you is going to be the weirdest thing I have ever done in my life." She whispered, looking at the floor. "I don't even know what was I thinking when I decided to do this without you." I smiled to her with sympathy, placing my hand over her knee.

"You are going to be great, Kayla, don't worry about it." I encouraged her, trying to calm her down a little. "Nicholas is going to regret treating you like he did when he sees you up that stage."

"You are my best friend, reason why you are supposed to say that." She replied, giggling as she came closer, unexpectedly hugging me. "But thank you so much anyway, Mitch. I don't know what I would do without you."

"Oh my god, what a cute moment!" Someone exclaimed behind us, making Mikayla pull away and turn around, glaring at the guy that had said that but with a little grin on her face.

"Leave us alone, Shane." I said and he smiled, looking at Mikayla.

"I was just coming to tell you that you go in five minutes, Kayla, so be ready." The brown eyed boy informed and she nodded, nervous.

"Go break some hearts, Kayla." I said winking at her, as I gently squeezed her hand, making her laugh a little. "Break a leg, sister!" Mikayla hugged me one last time and stood up, walking to Shane, who gave her a kiss on the cheek and hugged her as he told her to have good luck. Watching that was the weirdest thing I had to see in my life, if you want to be honest. Anyway, as soon as Mikayla left the room, Shane looked back to me, smiling with sympathy.

"Are you ready for some confessions, Little Mitchie?" Shane asked, sitting were my best friend has previously been sitting in.

"I still think this is the most insane idea we had had in our lives." I responded in a whisper. "But I guess I don't have any other option, do I?" He energetically denied shaking his head and placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Stop worrying about Mikayla, alright?" Well, this guy does know me well. "If this doesn't go as planned, she won't have any reason to be mad about. And if it goes as I hope it goes" I rolled my eyes. "Then she'll just have to accept it."

"And what if she doesn't accept it?" I asked, sighing. Shane shrugged.

"Then she's not worth it, Mitch." He answered and stood up. "But I know she'll accept it, your best friend isn't that bad after all." I couldn't stop myself from smiling to that comment.

"You don't have any idea of how incredible and terrifying is to listen to you say something nice about Mikayla from all people." He rolled his eyes.

"Come on now, we have to go down and see Mikayla's performance."

IIIIIIIIIIIII

If there was something about Mikayla that was completely amazing was her stage presence. Always, before any performance where she was going to sing, my best friend would be a nervous wreck in the exact moment she set a foot on the stage, she'd turn into Miss Smiles and looked like she had never ever been nervous, owning the stage and enchanting the crowd with her voice. The song she sang was called 'Just Gone', which talked about her relationship with her last ex boyfriend and how they could have made it through if he had tried. I was as proud of her as her own parents, who were looking at their youngest daughter's performance with tears building up in their eyes, just as her older sister couldn't stop smiling.

As soon as Mikayla finished her song, the auditorium exploded in cheers, making her smile even wider than it already was. She came running to the right side of the stage, where I was watching her behind the curtain, hugging me as soon as she saw me.

"I told you they were going to love it!" I exclaimed. "You were amazing, Mikayla!" She giggled and pulled away from the hug.

"Thank you so much, Mitch." She thanked me, winking an eye at me right after. "But now it's your time to shine, rock star."

"Up next, the second half of the winning duet of the last 4 years, give it up for Michelle Torres!" the auditorium started cheering again as soon as the professor that was announcing the contestants finished talking, making my nerves get freaked out, as I felt a lighting going through my spine, just out of pure nervousness.

"Break a leg, Mitch." Mikayla repeated what I previously said, smiling. I nodded, taking a deep breath and walking to the stage. "Oh, but hold on!" She exclaimed suddenly, making me turn around when I was about to enter the stage.

"Yes?"

"When am I going to know about the guy you like?" Mikayla asked with a smirk on her lips. "You promised you would tell me today." I smiled, nervously.

"Just listen carefully to the song I am going to play. You'll have an uncountable number of clues." I replied and without anything else to say, I walked to the stage.

The auditorium started cheering once again when I walked in and I smiled, nervously, taking my guitar that was being handed by some guy I didn't know. I took the strap and put it over my head, carefully placing the guitar on my shoulder and adjusting it, sighing. I looked up and talked through the microphone. "Before I start, I want to ask you something." I started, my voice sounding a little shaky. "Have you ever fallen in love?" The whispers were present as soon as I finished saying that. "But not that type of passenger infatuation where you have a day of knowing each other and you are in love already." Some people laughed at my comment. "I am talking about that kind of love that happens in the least expected moment, in the least expect situation and with the least indicated person." I faintly noticed how Michelle was making her way to the seat waiting for her next to her sister. "This is what this song is about. Ladies and gentlemen, this is called 'I'd Lie'"

I sighed and, knowing this was it, I started playing the first chord to the song that was going finally going to reveal everything.

IIIIIIIIIII

I guess you'd like to know what did my song say, right? Well, it was pretty much a resume of how I fell for Alex during the two months we became friends. Simply, it was a declaration that, for bright red that adorned her face when I finished playing the song, she didn't expect. Nonetheless, I didn't expect what happened next, when Alex stood up and walked out of the auditorium as fast as he could.

Remember when I said that, sometimes, when a girl declares her love for someone, she must keep her head up and pretend she doesn't care? Well, that was one of those moments. I kept the smile and bowed down to the audience, thanking them for their attention. I soon after walked out of the stage, taking my backpack from the chair I had been sitting previously and directed to the girl's restroom, where I would be able to take this ridiculous dress off of me and where I could be in without having anyone to bother me until my presence was needed up the stage again, to announce the winner. However, when my dress was on the floor and I was now wearing skinny jeans and my beloved black chucks, a white v-neck shirt and my leather jacket –outfit that Mikayla liked to call my classic style–, the door opened, revealing my best friend.

"I can't believe you were hide it from me all this time!" She exclaimed, smirking, walking inside the restroom and placing her hands on her waist once she was in front of me. "Actually, I can't believe I didn't notice before!" She threw her hands up the air and crossed them over her chest right after. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"There are a few things that shouldn't be commented." I responded, zipping my leather jacket. "And what I feel for your sister was one of them."

"Why did you tell Shane then, huh?" She asked, raising an eyebrow as always.

"I didn't tell him anything." I said, picking up the dress and the heels from the floor and putting them in my backpack. "It results that your love is pretty smart." Mikayla glared at me but blushed at the same time. I jumped a bit and sat on the sink. "He found very strange that I was hiding from you, since I always give up to your crazy plans, so he supposed there was another reason why I wasn't giving in this time. One day, he asked me if he could use my phone and he discovered I had saved all texts messages your sister had sent me, which made him take his own conclusions and the rest is story." I explained and she came closer, sitting on the sink as well, next to me. I looked at her and shrugged. "But either way, it doesn't matter, Kayla, so let's forget about it, alright?" Mikayla sighed and opened her arms, making smile, sadly.

"Come here, Mitch." She said, hugging me tight, thing that made me feel a lot better. "I have been telling you for years, my sister is an idiot and this just confirms it." I couldn't help but giggle. "If she decides to let you go, is just because she's stupid. And don't worry; I'll make sure she regrets it for the rest of her life!" I laughed again and pulled away, whipping the few tears that had made their way out of my eyes.

"I still don't understand why you aren't throwing a fit in this moment, Mikayla." I mentioned, honestly. "I thought you'd kill me once you found out." She smiled, shrugging.

"If you were any other person, yes, Mitch, I would have killed you." She responded, placing her arm over my shoulders. "But you are my best friend. In fact, that's the only reason why I have been looking for a guy the last two months for you, because I want you to be happy. And if, sadly enough, my sister is who makes you happy, who am I to get in the way?" I looked at her smiling, not believing what I was listening to. I just had the best of all best friends in the entire world.

"Mikayla Russo, has anyone ever told you how amazing you are?" I asked and she looked down to the floor, smiling. "And if you want me to be honest, from everything that could happen, you getting mad at me what was I feared the most. So you just confirmed something I already knew, Kayla: I have the best friend in the entire world and thank you for that. I love you, Mickey!" Mikayla rolled her eyes at the nickname I had given her so many years before and that she hated.

"I love you too, Michelle." She responded and jumped off of the sink, straightening her dress when she had her feet on the ground and standing in front of me. "But if you call me Mickey again, I will kick you." I laughed and nodded.

"Seems fair enough."

We heard someone knocking on the door, making us both look at it. "Girls are you there?" said the voice of my best guy friend, making Mikayla smile wider. I shook my head, smiling at how cute that was.

"Yes, Shane, we are here." Mikayla responded loud enough for my best guy friend to listen to her.

"Oh, thank god. I have a while looking for you!" He exclaimed, still behind the door. "They're going to announce the winner soon, so you are needed backstage, girls." Mikayla gave me a questioning look and I nodded, jumping off of the sink. She looked back to the door.

"We'll be there in a minute, Shane, thank you." Mikayla responded and I would have sworn Shane nodded, to right after listen to his steps getting away from the door. I took my backpack and threw it over my shoulder, looking at my best friend that still was looking at the door.

"Kayla." I called her and she turned around. I smirked. "If you have any plan of going out with him, you should tell him yourself. He will chicken out at the last minute, more because it's you, I know him, but you've got an assured yes, so go for it, tiger!" I exclaimed and she playfully hit my arm, furiously blushing and still being unable to erase her smile.

I shrugged, laughing and we both walked out of the restroom.

IIIIIIIIIIIII

Alex never showed up again that night, thing that made my best friend, since she had won the first place on the Talent Show, even more upset with her sister, not just because she had run away after my confession but also for not being there to support her in such an important moment for her. However, everything was forgotten when Shane, a few days after, finally collected the courage to ask Mikayla out on a date, who accepted with a huge smile on her furiously red face.

Two weeks later, both of my best friends couldn't get enough of each other. Was it weird? Of course it was. It was the weirdest thing I have ever had to go through in my life, but a few very good things had come out of it. For example, Shane knew that on Fridays, he just couldn't invite Mikayla out for dinner, unless he had a very good justification. Also, it was good to don't have the need anymore of telling them to stop fighting whenever I was with them both, although being with them when they were together was something I wouldn't do anymore at all. It was too much love for my system.

"What do you think Shane is doing right now?" Mikayla asked, playing with a loose thread on his blue sweater's sleeve, while we were lying on my bed, watching cartoons on a Friday night.

"Mikayla, if you ask me that one more time, I will kick you out of my house." I responded, rolling my eyes and making her giggle. "Enjoy your relationship as much as you can during the summer, Kayla, because when we go back to school, I want both of my best friends back and not the pair of love birds you had become, alright?" Mikayla giggled, again.

"I don't make any promises, Mitch." She responded. "What are you going to during the summer, by the way?" I shrugged.

"I guess that the same as every year, you know. Go out with friends, take care of my baby sister, visit a lot of family I will never know where they came from, go to the beach, visit muse–" A gentle tap on the window was heard, making me stop saying what I was saying.

"What was that?" Mikayla asked, just as another tap was heard on the window. Mikayla grabbed a pillow and held it against her chest. "What if it's the crazy man with the chainsaw from the movie of the other day?!" She asked, clearly altered. I glared at her.

"Really, Mikayla, really?" I said, shaking my head in disapproval and walking to the window.

"Don't open it, Mitchie!" Mikayla exclaimed, frightened, while I ignored her and opened the window, looking out of it.

And there, under my window, was the girl that had run away right after I had declared my love to her with a song in front of more than three hundred people –and yes, it was needed for me to say that again.–

"What are you doing here?" I asked, a little bit annoyed. She looked at me for a few seconds and then to the floor. Mikayla stood up.

"Who Is it?" She asked, walking to me and covering her face, in a surprise gesture, once she saw who was it.

"Can we talk?" Alex asked, looking up again, her deep brown eyes slightly shinning in hope.

I sighed. "It took you longer than I expected, huh?" I responded, still not believing what I was listening to. However, my best friend's sister couldn't expect me to accept her just like that, after that had happened. "Alex, it's late and I need to rest, so I'm so sorry, but whatever it is that you want to talk to me will have to wait. Have a nice evening."

"No, Mitchie, hold up!" Alex exclaimed, when I was about to close my window. "Give just two minutes, just that! That's all I am asking for!"

I chewed on lower lip. "Who doesn't risk it all doesn't win, Mitch." Mikayla said, walking back to my bed again. I looked back to her and she smiled. I sighed again and looked out of the window again.

"You two minutes. I'll see you at the door." I said and she smiled, energetically nodding. I closed the window and, collecting all the courage in me, I walked out of my room to the front door of my house. When I got to that door, I took a deep breath and, with my heart racing really fast, I opened, finding the brown eyed girl that kept me up every night in front of me. I crossed my arms over my chest. "Times running, so talk." I said, as coldly as I could.

"I know I am an idiot and I should have walked out that way, but I got scared, alright?" She stared, sighing and running her hand through her hair. I rolled my eyes.

"What on earth were you afraid of? I was the one talking about my feelings for you in front of three hundred people, not you!" I exclaimed, clearly upset.

"I know, Mitchie, but–"

"But what?" I interrupted her, rudely, letting my arms fall to my sides, impatiently. She took a step forward and took one of my hands, gently, making me feel a very warm flow go through my spine.

"Mitchie, I have a year being in love with you." Alex said, looking straight into my eyes and leaving me completely surprised. How was that…?

"What?"

"It was at my sister's 15th birthday party, last year. You and Mikayla had written a song together and were going to play it for our family that day." Alex smiled, looking at our intertwined hands. "That night, while you were performing, I couldn't stop noticing how beautiful you looked and how mesmerizing it was to look at you there, on a stage, playing for an audience. It was just extraordinary." I could feel my face turning into a bright shade of red. "And from that night, I couldn't look at you again as just my sister's best friend. From that night, you became the only thing I could think of and the stronger source of inspiration in everything I did. None of you noticed, but I started staying home on Friday nights instead of going out with my friends, because I knew you were going to be there, always thinking that would be day I would stop being so damn shy and finally talk to you." She smiled again, looking up from our hands and locking her eyes in mind again. "Thing that never happened until the day you decided to talk to me, reason why, god bless that drum set." I keep help but smile. "Because if it wasn't for the day you found me playing, I wouldn't be here, tonight, telling you my best hidden secret for the longest of times. So, Mitchie, I am in love with you." She continued, without stop looking me in the eyes and taking my other hand. "And if you still haven't changed your mind about your feelings for me because of my stupidity, I would like to show you that you won't have to hold any more breaths for me."

"Using my own songs against me is just not right, Alex Russo." I said, laughing softly and making her smile.

"Is that a yes?" She asked, hopeful. I crossed my eyes over my chest, smiling this time.

"Alex, do you really think that after writing and singing a song for you in front of a lot of people I am going to say no to you?" I responded, making her smile even bigger. "Let's see what comes out of this." And without needing to say something else, Alex walked closer to me and held my waist with both of her arms, automatically making me hold her neck with my own to then lean over to close the deal.

And that was enough to know that, at least for the summer, I was going to be a lot busier than I had planned and that, after all these years of protecting it, Mitchie Torres' free and untamed heart had been given to someone else.

The best of it all was that, at least for now, I knew it was in good hands.

And there was nothing to worry about, at least, not anymore.

The End.

Thank you for you time and I'll see you on the next chapter of Bright Eyes, soon to be updated! Have a nice day, guys and let me know about your thoughts with a review! :D