So, some ass just pulled the fire alarm in my dorm at 2 in the morning, so rather than go right back to sleep, I thought I'd post chapter 7 for you all to wake up to. You finally get your Naitlyn answer! Or part of your Naitlyn answer. I do but I don't like this chapter, it seems a bit jump to me… but I like the content of it. So, next chapter, some major Smitchie drama. And I know you guys want to read more about the other couples, but this is a POV story, just like the last two. It'd be very awkward to mention by the way, this is what so and so is doing. None of them live together anymore, so throwing random tidbits about other characters throws off the flow. Okay, I'm done. Oh, and glad you all like Naomi. She's in the one, too. I'm trying to make the chapters long, but I've cut down on the pointless filler-ing of chapters even more than in the last two stories, so it's a wee bit difficult to put single events into long chapters. But I hope you all like this one!
Chapter 7:
"I'm engaged!" Caitlyn shrieked through the phone later that week.
Shock was evident on my face as I dropped the phone. I was ecstatic for my friend, but it took a bit for the words to process. Shane gave me a confused look as I stared straight ahead. He quickly picked up the phone off the floor.
"Hello?" He answered.
"Shane! We're engaged!" Caitlyn laughed through the phone. He sighed and smiled. "Bout time. Though, next time you have news like that, don't tell a pregnant woman like that, please? I think you put her into shock." He chuckled, leading me to the couch to sit down.
I finally snapped out of it. "CAITLYN!" I yelled, taking the phone back from Shane. "What in the world? Why did you choose to tell me that over the phone? And how long have you been hiding this from me? Is this why you've been so distant?" I demanded.
Caitlyn hesitated and stuttered, "N-no. I mean, sort of. No, well… he, uh, he… proposed a few weeks ago… yeah, he proposed a few weeks ago when we first got here, and I couldn't give him an answer then. I wanted to know my answer before I told you."
Her story seemed slightly off, but I believed her nonetheless. "Wow. You made him wait weeks?" I gasped, unintentionally. "That's kinda harsh."
"Well, he… mentioned it… a few weeks ago, and then actually asked, um, in the last couple of days." Caitlyn stuttered again.
"Oh, okay. Oh yay! We get to plan two weddings now!" I clapped happily, cradling the phone between my shoulder and ear.
"Yeah, but we want a long engagement. None of this… a few months to plan stuff." Caitlyn insisted. "I'll think I'll die of a heart attack or a stroke if I try to plan a short wedding. Besides, we won't really plan until after Stas' wedding. Which, I hear is taking more out of her than she thought it would? What's going on with that?" Caitlyn commented.
"Yeah, her grandparents are less than thrilled about the wedding and are trying to make it impossible for them to get married. But now Stas really wants to get married in Serbia, and really wants her family there. When she was little, she always imagined going back to Serbia and having a fairytale wedding… and her family is making that dream impossible."
Shane looked deep in thought for a moment, seeing as he hadn't heard the full story about why she was cracking the other day when Jason called. He seemed to be plotting something, too.
"Ask Cait if Nate's busy?" He requested. I did, he wasn't. "I'm gonna go call Nate." He kissed my temple and went into our bedroom to call Nate. It was odd, but I didn't question it.
"Well at least I, hopefully, won't be pregnant at your wedding." I sighed. "I know Stas is being super awesome and everything. But… I'm really not looking forward to a transcontinental flight at 6 weeks before I'm due."
"I can understand that. I promise. No flying to get to my wedding, even if you're not pregnant. We can take a train to Pennsylvania if we must."
"Wow, you already know where you're getting married?" I asked, slightly impressed.
"Well, Nate's family is here. My parents are wherever. And you guys aren't too far away either… and… our house is here."
"Your house?" I asked in utter surprise.
"Well…" It sounded as if she was blushing. "It's Nate's house… but we're mar- getting married. So, it's going to be our house. It's already our home." She explained.
"Awww. Cait, I'm so happy for you. But remember," I began teasingly, "You still can't have sex even if you're engaged!"
"Mitch-ie!" She whined in response.
"Hey, can you put that on speaker?" Shane asked, coming back into the room. I looked puzzled but did so. I then realized that Caitlyn had, too, and that Nate was there with her.
"So, what's up with the conference?" I asked waiting for him to say something.
"Nate and I flying out to Serbia tomorrow." Shane said, looking at the floor.
"I'm sorry, what?" I demanded. "You're going to Serbia tomorrow?"
"We're going to talk to Stas' grandparents, Mitch." Nate explained.
"Why?" Caitlyn asked.
Shane sighed. "Because they don't seem to understand how much this is killing Stas. She loves Jason and she wants to please her family and she wants her dream wedding. If she weren't marrying Jason, she'd have all that in a heartbeat from her family. But they don't understand the way Jason and Stas care for one another. Stas is like our little sister and we hate seeing her so torn." He explained.
"Awwww." I cooed cupping Shane's cheek. "That's so sweet."
Nate chuckled. "Does that mean we're not in trouble?" He asked.
I laughed, too. "As long as Cait's butt is up here with me while Shane's gone."
"Absolutely. I don't want to be in this big old house by myself!" Caitlyn cheered.
"Okay, we'll see you guys in a few hours. We're going to pack." Nate said.
"See you later, Mitchie! Bye Shane!" Caitlyn called before hanging up.
"What time will they be here?" I asked, putting the phone back on it's cradle.
"Around 11, probably." Shane figured. "Why?"
"Because you're caring and incredibly sweet side happens to turn me on." I smiled, pulling on his loose tie.
"I thought we weren't having sex anymore until the baby was born?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Who said anything about sex, Dracula?" I teased, pulling him towards our bedroom.
Shane groaned but followed without any resistance.
I had quite a few marks by the time Nate and Caitlyn finally got to our apartment. Which of course, they made fun of us for.
"Well, as much as I've missed you. The pregnant woman is tired. Night guys." I hugged each other them and kissed Shane's cheek before going to my bedroom.
I was almost asleep when I felt the bed dip and Shane slid in next to me. He kissed my shoulder and draped his arm over my stomach, caressing it lightly like he did every night. "Love you." I heard him mumbled against my shoulder, just before sleep took me.
I woke up to the smell of breakfast. This, of course, scared me. I quickly threw on Shane's sleep pants and one of his larger t-shirts. When I entered the kitchen, Caitlyn and Nate were making breakfast together, looking entirely too cute and adorable for their own good. Shane was at the table, writing lyrics, of course.
"Hey, Nate… how does this sou- oh, hey, baby." He stood up as I waddled into the kitchen. I saw Caitlyn and Nate smiling at us out of the corner of my eye as he bent down and kissed me, then my stomach. I giggled as he did so.
"I smelled breakfast and was afraid that Shane was burning down our apartment." I said as I sat down in the chair with my hand on my back. I had a feeling our baby was going to be a big one because I was a little larger than normal. The doctor's said there's nothing wrong with that and it can be a good thing sometimes.
"Hey now, I can at least make breakfast…" He pouted sitting next to me and going back to his songbook.
"Baby, toast does not count." I teased. He glared and went back to writing. "When do you guys leave for your flight?" I asked.
Nate turned from where he was helping Caitlyn and answered, "In about an hour or so."
I nodded and ran a hand over my stomach. "Oh. How long are you going to be gone for?"
Shane shrugged. "However long it takes to prove to Stas' parents that Jason loves Stas more than anything in this world, and that those feelings are reciprocated. Who knows how long that will take."
"Oh. Well, don't be gone too long." I requested.
Shane kissed my temple. "I promise. I'll be back by the 24th."
"Breakfast is served." Caitlyn said as she and Nate placed plates brimming with food in front of all of us. Shane moved his book off the table and we all began eating.
We talked about nothing important while we ate. I was sad that Shane would be gone for a week, but I couldn't really complain. He was doing something amazing for Anastasia and Jason.
When they finally left for the airport, Shane kissed me good and promised to be home by the 24th. I didn't really understand why he was so insistent about that date, but let it go. I knew he had to be home before the 30th since we would be at Camp Rock again until the wedding, then we'd be back afterward.
"Okay, girls' night!" Caitlyn bounced excitedly as we sat around wondering what to do. "We can call up Stas, Miss Mopes A Lot, and Kevin's new girlfriend, or whatever she is."
"They're 'dating' but they're not dating. They're getting to know each other at the moment. But, yeah, we can call Naomi. I love her." I smiled. "She really does like Kevin for Kevin. Shane is just a bonus to her. I mean, usually it's the other way around, you meet the rock star brother through the normal, average brother; not meeting the normal brother you've had a crush on for 2 years through the rock star brother's crazy wife over a fan mail letter." I took a small breath, scaring Caitlyn with my endless speaking.
"Like, if someone said 'How did you meet?', she would answer 'Oh, I wrote Mitchie a really nice letter and jokingly added my number for her to give to Kevin. And then she and I met up and then Shane brought Kevin, and the rest is history!' How odd is that?" Caitlyn continued to look at me oddly.
"You are beginning to ramble more than normal." Caitlyn commented, flicking on the TV. "Let's watch Hot Tunes. We haven't in ages."
"Okay." I agreed, settling myself on the couch with my feet propped up on an ottoman. "My back hurts." I complained lightly.
"I'm sorry." Caitlyn said. "Do you want an ice back or a hot water bottle or something?" She offered, but I declined, saying I would be fine.
Instead, we gave our attention to Hot Tunes they were in the middle of a report about Riley. "…the teen pop sensation hasn't been the same since December when he reportedly split from his girlfriend, Nicky Grey, sister of Connect 3 front man Shane Grey. Friends and family are worried about his anti-social, reclusive nature now, something he's never been known for before.
"In related news, a Pregnant Smitchie have been out and about. Mitchie met up with a new friend at an outside café, were they were later joined by Shane and his brother Kevin. Smitchie left, leaving the younger companions alone. Grey's band mate Jason Bishop is getting married in what is being speculated as a July wedding in Serbia. Fiancée, Anastasia Dragomir's parents emigrated from there 25 years ago, though she's still close with the family they left behind. No update on the last member of Connect 3, Nate Frances who has, so far, not yet popped the question like his bandmates. He says 'We're taking it slow. Our friends are all ready for that step, but we're content with where we're at. Besides we're in no rush to start our own family just yet. We're happy waiting for Mitchie to have the baby and occasionally baby sit.' Connect 3 is currently working on their new album, though the release date has only been said to be after the baby is born and Shane has time. A new tour is most likely out of the question any time soon, though, as Shane has said he and Mitchie are uncertain about having a new born on a tour bus.
"Singer Milla Berra was spotted…" Caitlyn clicked off the TV.
"Why do we always turn it on at just the right time to hear about our selves?" Caitlyn asked.
"Nate really said you'd baby sit?" I asked slightly awing.
She blushed slightly. "Yeah, he's like… so serious about that. I know he wants kids, but I'm not ready yet. I mean, being married and pregnant at 19 is okay for you… but not for me. You and Shane have always been more willing to move your relationship as far as possible. And Jason and Stas are both in their 20's now, so…"
"Stas is 20 and Jason is turning 22 soon." I replied, rolling my eyes. "They aren't that much older than the rest of us."
"Oh well. Hey, shall we go call up Stas and Nicky and Naomi? It's going to take Stas a little while to get here…" Caitlyn suggested.
"Yeah, you call Stas, I'll call Nicky and Naomi." I replied.
A few hours later, we were spread out around my living room eating junk food and getting to know Naomi.
"Man, this feels like the first time we hung out. Before Jay and I were dating." Anastasia sighed, thinking back to so long ago.
"Yeah…" Caitlyn agreed. "This is like Naomi's initiation."
"We've never included Kevin's girlfriend like this." I thought for a moment. "Guess that makes you special, Naomi. You're our friend and not just his girlfriend."
Naomi blushed slightly. "You guys are so… normal." She commented. "I mean, for being married and or dating the three hottest celebrities in the country, you are very… low key."
"That's why they love them. They aren't money grubbing whores." Nicky laughed. "And they are pretty normal. They're like, the best big sisters you could ask for." All three older girls awed and hugged Nicky in a group hug. "You know what I just realized? Even my twin brother's girlfriend is older than me… I'm still the youngest." She pouted.
"That just makes you the baby of the group and that we love you that much more." Anastasia assured her. "Take it from the oldest."
"So… how is everything with Kevin coming along?" I asked Naomi, curious as to the current state of their relationship.
She smiled and blushed slightly. "I think he's going to ask me out soon. At least I hope so. We hang out all the time… and… he kissed me the other day after our 'date'."
Again all of the girls awed.
"So, where exactly is Shane while we're having a girls' night?" Nicky asked.
"Um…" Caitlyn and I shared a look. "He's in Serbia with Nate."
"What?!" Anastasia screeched. "What is he doing in Serbia with Nate?"
"Convincing your grandparents to back off and let you marry Jason without any problems?" I replied, uncertain of her reaction.
Her face immediately feel blank. "Whoa… seriously? Why?" She asked.
"He heard me telling Cait what you told me, and it made him think… so he called Nate and they decided to go plead your case. You really are like a little sister to him, Stas." I explained.
"Awwwww. I knew there was a reason I liked him." he cooed.
When Shane called after he finally talked to her grandparents, he said it was coming along. They were pretty close to convincing them. It would only take another talk, hopefully and they'd be ready for Anastasia and Jason to get married tomorrow. They were especially impressed with Shane having been married himself and excepting a baby, but also with Nate being engaged.
Anastasia had also called Jason to tell him what his best friends were doing for them. Jason called them immediately and thanked them a thousand times, telling them that they had no idea what it meant to him, but especially Anastasia.
When Shane finally called before leaving Serbia, he said that her family was convinced by the friends that Jason had. That he had a friends willing to go and plead his case, but also that they cared about Anastasia that much as well. It made me think back to when Caitlyn first moved in with me and Dad was impressed by Shane and his friends helping us move them on their own accord.
Shane was home on the 22nd, much to his relief. I hadn't really been sure why he was so anxious to be home by the 24th at first, but quickly learned why. June 26th. My dark day. I hadn't really given into it the year before, but I was consumed with guilt afterwards. I felt like I had forgotten him. My therapist suggested that I reflect on him on his anniversary this year, but try not to let the dark thoughts consume me. Shane was worried that I'd go into a hysterical breakdown because of the pregnancy. Me being roughly 7 months pregnant made Shane nervous about anything that might upset me.
As Shane expected though, I broke down at Justin's grave, but nothing major. Shane was able to keep me calm enough that I would have effected the baby with my hysteria. I didn't leave our bed when we got home though, except to go into the baby's room. I reflected more on how short life could be and how I wanted to live every possible moment I could. I wanted every second with my husband, child, and friends as I could.
By the next day I was fine and readily looking forward to Camp Rock. Somehow, going back there every year always made me remember where Shane and I began. Everything we went through and everything that we gained. From our first meeting, or meetings rather, to the duet, to the time we fought and I threw my ring back at him, to the time we had our 'first date' out on the lake then watched the sunrise with our friends. There were so many memories at Camp Rock for us and I had a feeling we would continue to make many, many more.
Okay, so blah. Bree's going back to bed now. Toodles.