AN: I know it's taken me ages to update but I've been crazy busy and unable to access my laptop for a few days. Hope you like the next chapter, more reviews makes for a happy writer, just saying!
Chapter 7 – Tia's Truth
Shane yawned as he sat on the sofa with Mitchie later that evening. After touring for many months, the lack of sleep he had endured was finally catching up with him.
"Aw, is the rock star sleepy?" Mitchie teased.
"Pop star." Shane replied, quoting Mitchie's old joke, though she didn't realise it, instead she responded with a look of complete confused. "Never mind." He muttered, saddened their private joke was only his now.
"Mitchie," Connie walked into the living room having noticed the time, "It's getting late and you have school in the morning. You should be getting to bed." Mitchie sighed, knowing her mom was right and that it was pointless trying to persuade her to allow her to stay up any later. "Shane, I'm sure you haven't had a bedtime in quite a while but if you don't mind, I have to suggest you head to bed too, it's only fair." Connie said as diplomatically as she could.
"Mom! I can't believe you just said that. You are so embarrassing." Mitchie groaned, causing Shane to laugh at her reaction
"It's okay Mitch, it's actually quite nice to have someone suggest I go to bed. It really hasn't happened in quite a while." Though he was nineteen, and would never admit it to anyone, Shane missed his parents. He hadn't seen them in quite some time, refusing to visit them during his 'jerk' phase, and then not having time between camp and the tour. If he was forced to tell the truth he would admit he was scared to go home. He didn't think his family would welcome him with open arms.
"Okay well, goodnight." Mitchie said, giving him an awkward hug. Though she felt closer to him after today, she was still uncertain how to act around him.
"Night Mitchie, sleep tight." He said as she climbed the stairs leaving him alone with Connie. "I want to thank you for letting me stay, it means a lot. If there's anything I can do just let me know." He said, feeling very grateful to the woman stood in front of him.
"Shane, you're doing enough already just being here. I know you'll help Mitchie, even if it takes a while. I should be thanking you for taking the time to be with her." Connie replied, causing Shane to blush. Connie sensed there was more to the band members' presence in her house than just friendship and, whilst most mothers would be overly protective of their daughter's when it came to guys' attention, she couldn't be happier about it.
"It's no problem, trust me." He said before yawning again. "I guess I should be off to bed. Goodnight Connie." He surprised her by giving her a brief hug.
"Night Shane." She responded before watching him walk up the stairs. Checking the time again she realised her husband would be home soon. How he would react to the new house guest, she wasn't sure.
CR-CR-CR
"Connie, why is there a world famous pop star in our guest room?" Steve asked as he entered the kitchen the next morning. He'd been late home the night before after a hardware emergency, meaning Connie hadn't had a chance to explain what was going on.
"He's staying with us." Connie explained simply, not looking up from the pancake batter she was mixing.
"What! Connie, why didn't you discuss this with me first?" Steve said, unimpressed. "Why is he staying with us?"
"He wants to help Mitchie." Connie replied as she added blueberries to the mix, knowing Mitchie preferred them to plain pancakes. "Steve, we need to try and make her remember. Everything we've tried so far has been unsuccessful; if Shane is the way to solve the issue then I'll happily let him stay here as long as he wants to achieve it." Steve walked over to his wife and wrapped his arms around her.
"It'll happen one day Connie, we just have to give her time. The doctor said..."
"I don't care what the doctor said!" Connie interrupted, snapping suddenly. "I want my daughter back."
Shane paused outside the kitchen, hidden from view by the door. He didn't realise how much everything with Mitchie had affected her mom.
"We will. We just need to be patient. Things could have been much worse."
"I know." Connie said sadly. She couldn't bear to think what the consequences of the accident could have been. She sighed before continuing, "I can't help wondering how different things could have been if we hadn't moved. Was this job really worth everything it caused?" Connie aired her frequently considered question. Since the day of the accident she wished they'd never gone to England.
"Things would have been different, but it was your dream Connie, we made the right decision, no matter what occurred as a result." Steve said, stealing a blueberry from the packet, earning himself a small slap from his wife.
"What if Shane can't help her?" Connie asked.
"I'll do everything I can to try." Shane said as he walked awkwardly into the room, making his presence known.
"Oh, er, morning Shane." Connie said, turning around to look at the teenager, wondering how much of the previous conversation he'd heard. "You remember Steve, Mitchie's father, I'm sure you two met after Final Jam."
"Nice to meet you again sir." Shane said politely as he shook Steve's hand.
"You too." Steve said before he took as seat at the table as Connie added the last few blueberries to the mix.
"Is there anything I can do to help Connie?" Shane asked, feeling guilty still for being allowed to stay for free, but doing nothing to help out.
"No, I just need to fry these now." Connie explained, indicating to the batter. She whisked it a bit more before putting it in the fridge to rest for a few moments. She told Shane he should take a seat before walking into the hallway, yelling up the stairs;
"Mitchie, up!" Her call was surprisingly loud. Shane and Steve both chuckled when they heard the loud groan in response, it was clear the seventeen year old really didn't want to be woken, before a drum beat could clearly be heard.
"It's her own song." Steve explained as they heard the music, which indicated to her parents that she had gotten out of bed. "She plays it every morning to help wake herself up."
Connie returned to the kitchen and began cooking the pancakes. With immaculate timing Mitchie arrived at the table just as the pancakes were served.
"Smells good." She said, taking a seat and helping herself to a few.
"How many outfits this morning?" Connie asked, taking the last chair at the table. She knew her daughter's morning routine well and this question had become a family joke.
"Three." Mitchie admitted sheepishly. Every day it took her a few attempts to decide what would be best outfit to wear to school. Sometimes it took a surprisingly long time and her record was trying on fifteen different combinations before coming downstairs.
"That must be a new lowest record, surely?" Steve teased. Shane sat there smiling as he watched the family interact. He had forgotten what it was like to have breakfast all together.
The morning meal passed with simple, gentle chit chat and soon enough it was time for Mitchie to head to school.
"Don't forget you have a doctor's appointment at half four. I'll pick you up at the end of the day." Since the accident Mitchie had been forced to share the car with her mother, unable to afford another one of her own. On the days her mom had to use the car for work she was forced to get lifts from her parents.
"Okay mom. I'll see you later." She gave her a quick hug then turned to Shane. "You sure you'll be okay on your own all day?" She felt bad that he was stuck in England because of her and now he had to spend his days all alone whilst she disappeared to the hell that was school.
"I'll be fine, I have things to do." Shane promised her.
"Come on Mitch, we'll be late." Steve called from the door. He was going to drop her off on his way to work.
"Have a good day." Shane said as he gave her a gentle goodbye hug.
"It's school, that's unlikely." Mitchie replied before giving a final farewell and rushing out the door.
"So what are your plans for the rest of the day?" Connie asked as Shane helped her fill the dishwasher with the breakfast stuff.
"I'm going to pick up a hire car. This town's nice but I'd like to be able to go explore the local area a bit more." He explained.
"You can always borrow our cars Shane." Connie said.
"That's kind of you but I honestly don't mind hiring one, it's no problem." He replied.
CR-CR-CR
Mitchie hated school on Mondays. It meant there was a whole week until the next weekend and she had most of her worst lessons too. As she came out of maths class, her last class of the day, she was relieved, more so this week than usual. Tia had been missing all day, leaving Mitchie more or less alone, plus with the arrival of the end of day she knew she'd seen Shane shortly, a fact which brightened her mood considerably.
"Oi, Torres." Mitchie groaned as she heard Steffi's voice echo through the corridor. She turned to see her enemy surrounded by her whole gang, all of whom were dressed in similar outfits: stiletto heels, short skirts and different coloured vest tops (each minion had their own colour). The five girls spread out behind Steffi as she came to a halt in front of Mitchie. "Rumour had it you've got a pop star in your house."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Mitchie said. She wasn't sure Shane really wanted everyone knowing about him staying with her and she wasn't the bragging type, she preferred to keep things to herself.
"See Tia, I told you she was lying." Tia emerged from within the group, dressed in a similar manner to the rest of the clones.
"Tia? What are you doing?" Mitchie asked the only girl she thought was her friend, hurt clear in her eyes. Tia just looked silently at the floor.
"Isn't that sweet!" Steffi exclaimed "She actually believe you were her friend Ti." The other clones laughed. Mitchie looked at Tia, tears forming in her eyes. "Did you really think someone like Tia would be friends with someone like you? She's rich and you," Steffi looked Mitchie up and down and scoffed, "you're just a cook's daughter." A tear dropped from Mitchie's eye as Steffi's insult hurt more than it should.
"Why?" Mitchie asked, staring at Tia. Her supposed friend looked up and Mitchie could see the conflict in her eyes.
"Go on Ti, tell her." Steffi instructed.
"You forgot everything; it was too good an opportunity to miss." Tia said quietly, though it didn't sound like she believed her own words.
"You just fell for it, hook line and sinker. It was just precious how gullible you were. 'Oh Mitchie! I was so worried about you!'" Steffi imitated the words Tia had said that first day at the hospital.
"What about everything I told you?" Mitchie couldn't believe Tia had done this to her.
"All your precious secrets? Well, the ones you could remember. They gave us hours of laughter; we were very appreciative of the enjoyment you provided us with. And your dream of becoming a world famous singer?" Steffi laughed and the clones quickly followed suit, "I can't believe how deluded you are, it would be adorable if you weren't seventeen. I mean come on, you're fat, ugly," Steffi continued to insult her, not nothing how her gang had fallen silent behind her in shock, "not to mention the fact that to be a singer you have to actually be able to sing, which you definitely can't."
"Steffi..." One of the minions tried to stop her.
"Shut up Dana, can't you see I'm in the middle of something?" Steffi snapped.
"Yes Dana, be quiet, I'd quite like to see where she's going with this." A male voice said. Mitchie spun around, feeling incredibly uncomfortable when she saw a certain floppy haired superstar stood behind her.
"Shane, what are you doing here?" She hissed, knowing Steffi would become even more unbearable with the knowledge that he was around.
"Mitchie I though you told us you didn't know the Shane Grey. Why would you lie like that?" Steffi said in a fake friendly tone, hoping it would wind Shane up to know Mitchie had lied about him, as she tottered forward, offering Shane her hand. "I'm Steffi Manoulus. It's such a pleasure to meet you."
"So like Tess." Shane muttered under his breath. Ignoring Steffi's hand he turned to Mitchie. "Your mom asked me to come get you, you ready to go?" Mitchie nodded silently, not trusting her voice to keep her sadness a secret. She didn't want him to know what had just occurred. Shane wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave the other girls a quick nod before leading her out of the school.
When they arrive at Shane's hire car Mitchie gasped in shock and behind her she could hear six similar reactions. Steffi and her gang had followed them out, though Tia was nowhere to be seen.
"Subtle isn't in your vocabulary is it?" Mitchie asked as Shane opened the door of the deep red convertible Jaguar XKR.
"It's a good car. I can't be seen driving some Ford Focus or whatever, I am Shane Grey after all." He reasoned whilst helped her into the leather passenger seat. She glanced back up at the school, noticing the look of envy on Steffi's face. She knew this was going to cause further trouble.
