Chapter 9
Mitchie opened one eye, then the other. She struggled to sit up. She stretched out her arms, cried out, and fell back into her pillow. Her shoulder throbbed and each beat painfully faded. "What, what. Oh, it hurts," she moaned. Mitchie looked around. She was in the hospital. It was pure white. "Figures."
"Mitchie, I heard a cry. Are you okay?" Caitlyn asked, bursting through the door. Mitchie's eyes widened. Wasn't Caitlyn supposed to be in Virginia? She smiled. They embraced.
"I'm fine, Caitlyn. Just a little sore. How are you here?" Mitchie asked as they let go.
"They called me and I realized that if my best friend got hurt, I wanted to be there with her. My mom's letting me come on tour!" Caitlyn explained, handing a glass of water to Mitchie. Mitchie took a large gulp and placed it on the bedside table.
"Where's Shane?" Mitchie asked.
"Oh, he's with the guys. They're all packing up and getting ready to leave as soon as you get better. Gabriella's packing your stuff," Caitlyn sat down on the end of Mitchie's bed and picked up a magazine. "So, what's new with you?"
Mitchie watched as Caitlyn flipped boredly through a magazine. She sighed and looked down, rubbing her stomach. "I'm pregnant," she whispered simply. Caitlyn dropped the magazine and stared at Mitchie.
"No WAY. Seriously? Does Shane know? Does anyone know?" she jumped on Mitchie for questions instantly, which Mitchie figured she do.
"No, Caitlyn. Shane doesn't know. Everyone else does. I'm about five months pregnant. But I can't bring myself to tell him," she said quietly. Her heart stung because she was holding something important back from Shane. It made her so mixed with emotions. What if he accused her of not trusting him?
Caitlyn wrapped her arms around Mitchie. Mitchie sobbed and shook. She was fifteen. She was fifteen and pregnant.
Gabriella stared at Shane. He moved without a noise from bag to closet. He was just stuffing his shoes in one bag when he turned sharply towards Gabriella and glared at her. "What? Is there something you want to say? Just say it and stop staring at me," Shane snapped. Gabriella shook her head.
"Shane, don't you dare yell at me! You think this is hard on you? She's my sister! But I don't go around, yelling at people. I should, though. I have a right to yell, to mope, and to cry for my baby sister! But I don't, Shane! Because I know Mitchie's okay! Nothing's wrong with her!" she shouted at him. Gabriella swiveling around. She turned back. "And I have NOTHING to say to you!" she added coldly.
Shane stared guiltily after her. She was right. Mitchie was okay. She was fine. But he still wanted to be a jerk and it was affecting everybody. Gabriella would have been the LAST person to yell at him. She was peaceful, almost. His brothers would have told him off sooner. He didn't know why he was still mad. Something else bothered him.
Shane began to pack more, promising to apologize to everyone later. He picked up a notebook and realized it was Mitchie's. Reading the first page, he immediately recognized that day.
FLASHBACK
Mitchie was trying to run away from Shane. Her hand flew up to wipe away escaping tears. That's when she lost balance and tripped over a root. She screamed and slammed into a tree. Her arm hurt and Mitchie started swearing uncontrollably as she sobbed. "Mitchie!" Shane yelled. Mitchie tried to get up. She fell back down with a painful sigh.
Shane found her. He took in her helpless form. "Shane, please, just leave me alone," Mitchie whispered, standing up finally. Shane moved towards her. She snatched off her shoe and threw it at him. "I said leave me alone!" she screamed, turning and running. They were at it again. Running through the woods and getting farther away from the camp.
When Mitchie stopped and thought Shane was long behind, she rested against a tree. There was a snap. Mitchie cried out as Shane pinned her to the tree. "Mitchie, talk to me! Where. Did. You. Get. Those. Bruises!" he shook her and Mitchie winced. She lifted her sleeve and showed him the bruises he was tightly squeezing. His grip loosened.
"My boy friend. He, he beats me whenever I embarrass him. Even-even when I try not to," Mitchie lowered her voice. Shane let her go and instead of running, Mitchie slid to the ground. "For two years I let him do this to me. Shane, what am I gonna do?" she asked, looking at him with teary eyes. Shane gazed at her and finally fell down with her. He wrapped his arms around her and cried with her.
"Mitchie, we'll go to the police. He'll get arrested. You'll be safe. Until then, you're coming with me on tour," he said firmly. Mitchie looked at him. She was shocked.
"Thank you, Shane. Where's my shoe?" they both laughed.
FLASHBACK
Shane instantly brightened up. She knew how to make bad times into happy times. He tucked the journal in Mitchie's bag and threw on his coat. He wanted to see Mitchie.
Shane was outside the door of Mitchie's room when he heard talking. "Mitchie, you have to tell him."
"I can't Caitlyn. It's too hard to tell him. How will he react when he knows I'm pregnant?" The car keys slipped from Shane's hand and landed on the ground. Caitlyn opened the door, gasped, and backed away. Mitchie held Shane's eyes and shrugged nervously. "Congratulations?"
Shane ran away. He passed Nate and Jason and went straight for the restrooms. He puked. It was after that he passed out. Nate and Jason looked at each other and continued on. Mitchie was crying as they entered her room. "Don't worry, Mitchie. He's just in shock," Caitlyn comforted her. She looked up and glared at Nate. "Go. Get. Shane. If he doesn't get back here and handle it like a man, I'm gonna-," Nate did her bidding before she finished.
Jason walked over to Mitchie. He wiped away her tears and sat down at the end of her bed. "Mitchie, just give him time to adjust. I promise you Shane isn't the kind who'll bail on important stuff like this," he whispered. Mitchie listened to him and stopped crying. She still hiccupped but stopped crying.
Nate walked into the guy's restroom and gagged. It smelled like puke. He pushed open a door and saw Shane lying there unconscious. He nudged him with his toe. No Avail. Nate got an idea. "Now all I need is a cup to get the toilet water-,"
"Don't you dare!" Shane shouted, bolting up. Nate laughed.
"Come on. Go talk to Mitchie," he said. Shane nodded and followed Nate. As they got closer, his heart pounded. He stared at the blank walls. Then, it was Mitchie's eyes he stared at.
