So... I decided to update again today thanks to all my reviewers. And thank you to my best friend thatwizardatcamprock who is currently threatening me to update or else... So shout out to her. If you like a lot of twists and fun and romance, then her stories are perfect for you guys. They're really good, so check out her profile because SHE'S AWESOME! Please don't kill me for this chapter... everything will clear up in the end, but for now, you guys are just going to have to bear with me.

Present:

Alex clears her throat in the silence and looks like she wants to say something. Five mintues later, she does.

"Look, Mitchie, I really don't want to be stuck in a hospital bed all my life. And no matter how pretty you look as a hallucination, I want to stop hallucinating, too. So let's fix this. If you want, we can part ways afterwards, but let's just get this over with."

I take a deep breath. "Okay. Fine. You start."

She tilts her head, probably thinking about what to say. Then she begins. "Mitch, I know what I did with Miley was wrong, and I've already went over this with you, but I didn't mean it, I wasn't thinking, and I'm dying inside knowing you won't forgive me. I'm so guilty I can barely think."

"I know you didn't mean it." I can't believe I'm saying this. "I just don't think we're working out as a couple. When your girlfriend's brother commits suicide, you expect to talk about it with them, am I right? Not pretend that you don't exist and completely ignore all text messages, calls, and everything else. I was worried Alex."

"Everyone was worried. Do you think you were the only person I shut out? I stopped talking at all. The only people who saw me were my parents, and they didn't make me talk to them because they were going through the same thing. I just needed time. Time to think, time to heal, time to get over his death. I'm still mourning, Mitchie!"

"Obviously." I gesture towards the name engraved on her arm. "But why was that necessary?"

She looked hurt. "Well, what would you do? I had finally told you what I was going through, and you walked off when I needed you most."

"I would've tried to fix the situation in a mature and responsible way, not acted like a child and took the easy way out."

"The easy way out?!" Now she was mad... maybe I should've left that last part out. "You think decided to kill myself was taking the easy way out? All I could think of was about how you would feel, how much you would blame yourself..." Frustrated tears glistened at the corner of her eye. "You aren't even trying to understand."

"You haven't been thinking at all these past few weeks, and I need you to start thinking now. How would you react if you found out I had made out with Taylor?" I was trying to bring order into the conversation, but obviously failing miserably.

Alex ducked her head, seeing my point but not ready to accept I was right.

"Betrayed?" I answered for her. "Disappointed in us both? Mad at Taylor? Mad at me? Well it doesn't matter, because I'm not the one who cheated. And thinking or not, you are the one who cheated on me."

"You're making this conversation go in circles. We already talked about this. Why do you keep bringing it up? I regret it and you regret it. We both regret it, and I apologized."

"You never apologized."

She looked sheepish. "Oh yeah. Sorry."

Deespite the seriousness of everything, I had to laugh. Of course Alex would forget to apologize; she never apologized.

Alex looked up at me with pleading eyes. "So can you forgive me."

I sigh heavily. A clock is ticking on the wall, but otherwise it's quiet as she waits for me to reply.

"Alright." I finally agree. "I forgive you!"

"Yay!" Alex leaps off her bed and takes two steps before falling to the ground. "Oof."

"You aren't supposed to be moving around, remember?!" I stifle laughter as she picks herself up and manages to make it back to her bed.

"I do now."

We both sit in contended silence.

"So, do you think the hallucinations have stopped?" I finally ask.

"Our relationship is fixed, isn't it?"

"I think so."

I reach over and press the button to call for the nurse. It takes a bit longer, and instead of a white clad assistant, Dr. Cane appears in the doorway.

"Did you guys get it done?" She asked.

"Yes." I nod. "Can we leave now?"

Her face split into a grin. "Let me call your parents and get some paperwork done, and you are free to go."

She leaves in a rush and I can't help but smile. I glance over at Alex only to find that she's already looking at me. Our gazes meet, and I'm forced to remember when I told my parents about me and Alex.

Flashback:

"Mom, Dad, can I talk to you about something serious?"

We were all sitting around the dinner table, eating spaghetti. Both of them were in very good moods, and I was too. I mean, last week, the most beautiful creature on earth asked me out. Who wouldn't be in a good mood. But now I had to tell my parents. I didn't even know if they were okay with gay people, but I knew I couldn't hide something like that from them. They deserved to know, they were my family.

"Of course, honey." Mom put her fork down and let her attention rest fully on me. "Go on."

"I'm in a relationship."

Both of them froze for a bit, but then relaxed.

"That's great Mitchie. Who's the lucky guy?" Dad spoke first.

Ouch. Not a guy, Dad. It's not a guy. "Well...erm...it's Alex."

Mom laughs. "That's funny. Your best friend is named Alex, and now your boyfriend is named Alex? How ironic."

"Actually you guys... they're the same person."

They were still confused.

"The guy Alex is your best friend? What happened to the girl Alex?" Mom raised her eyebrow. "Are you two having friend problems?"

Wow, they were making this way harder than I thought. "Mom and Dad, look, Alex? The girl Alex? That's who I'm dating. I'm gay."

Dad's spoon dropped to the table with a clatter. They both stared at me, not processing my words.

"You're...gay?" Dad's eyes were wider than necessary.

"Er, yeah." I nodded, then took a big bite out of spaghetti so as to avoid having to answer any new questions.

"Mitchie," Mom reached over the table so she could put her hand on my arm, getting sauce all over her shirt. "I want you to know that we will accept you for who you are, and if that's who you choose to be, than I am fully supportive."

Dad cleared his throat. "I agree." I could tell he was still a little freaked out, but overall I was just glad I wasn't being kicked out on the streets.

I smiled really big. "Thanks guys."

"I can still intimidate, though, right Mitchie?" Dad asks.

"Intimidate all you like, Dad."

Maybe everything would turn out right after all.

Present:

I jerked away from the eye contact. The last thing I needed to do was break down and ask for her to take me back. I couldn't handle going out with her again, only to have my heart broken.

We sit there in silence for an hour or two, and then our parents are rushing in and hugging us and it's all we can do to get one word in.

Both of us are ushered into a car and driven home. But I wonder; is she hurting like I am?

I send a text to Justin and Shane: Finally back home. Thanks for the support guys, I'm going to be fine. -Mitch

Shane replied immediately. You're home? I'm coming over right now.

I grin, knowing he won't take no for an answer. The world seems so much brighter when you aren't in pain.

Hopefully Mom and Dad won't mind.

"Hey, Shane's coming over." I call to my parents, who told me I needed some rest and forced me into another bed.

"Fine, as long as you stay in that bed Michelle Torres!" Mom yelled back, using my full name to show me she meant business.

"We'll see." I murmered under my breath.

"I heard that!"

"Heard what?"

"Keep your nose clean!"

"Yes Mom." I laugh quietly.

It only takes ten minutes before my ex is in my room, hovering over me and asking multiple times if I'm feeling okay.

"Shane, Shane, I'm fine." I smile at his concern. "Really. Alex and I are all fixed up."

"Okay." He looks a little cautious to believe me, but covers it up with a grin. "I missed you Mitch."

"Missed you too! When are you going to get your job at the coffee shop back? It's not nearly as fun to go without you and Justin there."

He shook his head. "That job didn't pay nearly as much as I needed for my college bills. Now that I work as a waiter, I get tips and everything."

"So that's where you work!"

Shane held out a hand to me, and I took it. "You wanna go on a drive with me? The night air might clear your head."

I smile again. "I would love too."

We pass my parents bedroom quietly, and I can hear my parents snoring. The door creaks open, and we go out into the fresh air. It's cool, and it is refreshing.

I open the door for myself, which feels weird on the passenger side, and he rolls down the windows.

The silence is completely comfortable. I relax into the cushioned seat, and for once in my life my thoughts aren't completely taken up by Alex.

Shane turns into a dirt lane, and we go down it quite some time before reaching a dead end. "Follow me." He whispers.

We walk through some tall grass that goes up to my shoulders, and finally it all clears up. I look forward and gasp.

There's a little two person bench sitting alone in the middle of the clearing. There's a pond in front of it, that is perfectly clear and reflects the moonlight. Crickets are chirping and I can hear a frog croaking over somewhere to my right.

He sits down on the bench and motions for me to do the same. So now we're sitting side by side, looking up at the cloudless sky, which reveals thousands of sparkling stars and a full moon.

"This place is beautiful." I finally say. My voice seems to disturb the peace.

"I'd like to say it's my secret place where I come to think, but it's just a fishing hole that looks cool at night." He grins.

Laughter feels good, and it seems to complete the moment. His dark brown eyes look down on me, reflecting starlight. A soft smile is playing on his lips, and everything is perfect.

My heart starts to beat three times as fast, and I realize he's still the cutest guy in town.

"This might be a bad time..." Wow, those words are familiar. "But Mitchie? I still have feelings for you."

I duck my head and don't know what to say, don't know what to feel. My heart is torn between Alex and Shane... And right now I'm so confused I don't know what to think.

He starts singing out of nowhere, and it seems like the nature around us is his music.

Your laugh is a song

I wanna hear it all day long

Can't even sing along, but we can duet

Your laugh is musical

Catchy, clear and beautiful

Might even be magical and I'll never forget

I live to make you smile

I breathe to see your grin

I move to get closer to you

Wanna hear every word again

Yeah, I talk to hear your laughter

I listen to hear your remarks

As long as you light up my world

I can see through the dark

Mitchie, laugh again

Make my day

Touch my soul

Promise you'll stay

Laugh again,

Make my life

Sing your song

Day and night

Your laugh is my song

I wanna hear it all day long

Being with you keeps me strong

It's so good, it should be wrong

So laugh, cuz your laugh, is my song

He finishes, and I look up at him. Our eyes meet, and I can't help that in the depths of those brown orbs I see Alex.

Then he leans down and our lips meet, and I'm so confused, but I can't help but kiss him back. The world is spinning upside down and I can't tell if this is right or wrong, but whatever it is it's happening.

My mind is blank and as he takes me back home and I wave goodbye, I wonder if l can handle this feeling of guilt. But why am I guilty? And most importantly, how am I ever to talk to Alex again?