Fire and Ice
Episode 9: Like A Skyscraper
By: daddyslittleprincess123
A/N: Hey y'all! How has everyone been? How are the wife and kids? …. Good! :D
I've missed y'all, like bunches. I know, I know. Y'all have missed me too.. (;
I was glad to read that y'all liked the last episode. And, I'm happy Haylee is back with Alex too. It was weird not writing parts with them together. (:
Also, I've set myself a goal: At least 50 reviews on this story before it ends! That would be incredible, and I'm soooo close! So, review! Tell your best friend to review! Tell your best friend's boyfriend's cousin to review! Hahah, I love y'all. (:
I also wanted to talk to y'all kinda seriously for a moment. You're all aware of what cyber bullying is, I'm sure. I haven't seen the movie yet, but that's on my to-do list. I've been on Twitter the past few nights and experienced cyber bullying going on. Not to me, thankfully, but to poor, innocent people who are more fragile than me and who can't take that kind of thing. It broke my heart when I read that one of the people I was following was cyber bullied to the point where she cut herself severely, and her best friend and her mom found her unconscious in the bathroom with a suicide note laying next to her. Thank God, she's going to be okay. Her best friend has been tweeting us updates. And, a really sweet girl I'm following has been receiving lots of hate and even death threats! Guys, cyber bullying is a serious issue. I didn't realize how serious until I actually saw it happen. We need to put an end to it. So many people harm or even kill themselves over it, and YOU are so much more important and special than haters tell you you are. In the words of Selena Gomez, "YOU have every right to a beautiful life." If you experience this happening, like I did, instead of sending hate to the bully, send several words of LOVE to the one being bullied. It matters more that the person realizes that people DO love them and that they ARE important and worth every bit of life.
I hope my beautiful readers wouldn't ever consider being a cyber bully. And, for those of you that have been cyber bullied before, I can only imagine what you went through, but I'm so happy you stayed strong. Spread LOVE instead of HATE. (:
Written-in-hearts: Haha, I think Haylee's pretty cute too. Thank-you for your review, and I really hope you like this episode! Remember to spread LOVE instead of HATE. (:
Ally-Woods-rox: I'm glad you liked it! I'm glad you're happy Kevin's gone. Here's a secret: I'm happy Kevin's gone as well. Thank-you or your review! I hope you love this episode just as much as you loved the last one. (: Remember to spread LOVE instead of HATE. (:
unperfectt: I'VE MISSED YOU TOOO. (: Thank-you soo much for your sweet, sweet review! (: I'm glad everyone is happy that Kevin's gone; I'm happy too. Haha, you'll get plenty of Nate and Alex together soon, but they won't be together just yet. You'll see why in this episode. (; You'll get the chance to write your dramatic review about how much you want Nate and Alex together, and again, you'll find out why in this episode. I've got to throw some drama in there. (: I'm SO happy you're on board for the sequel. I'm excited to start writing it. And, I'll never doubt my readers; y'all are absolutely incredible. As for Kevin in the sequel, welllll, I don't want to ruin any surprises, but he won't PERSONALLY be in it. That's all I can say for now. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as the last one! (: Remember to spread LOVE instead of HATE. (:
Brittana Forever: Well, thank-you very much. (: I'm pretty happy about Alex getting Haylee back and not having to worry about Kevin anymore as well. (: I am glad you liked the last episode! Andd, if you like this episode just as much, I'll be even more glad. (: Remember to spread LOVE instead of HATE. (:
ContentsPriceless: I know I already replied to your review, BUT I wouldn't feel right if I didn't put a review reply on here tooo. Haha. (: Thank-you for your sweet review! It made me very happy. (: I'm sorry it took me so long to get this episode out, and I hope you're able to read it before you leave for camp! Also, I hope you have fun at camp! I hope you enjoy this episode! Remember to spread LOVE instead of HATE. (:
I love each and every one of you more than you could know. Spread LOVE instead of HATE! (: I hope y'all like this episode!
The song in it is 'Skyscraper' by Demi Lovato.
Disclaimer: If I owned Wizards of Waverly Place and Camp Rock, I'd be rich. I'm not rich. But, I do own sweet little Haylee and the idea for this story! (:
STARTING STORY:
Exactly six days passed since the Kevin terror came to an end and Alex got Haylee back. Those six days were some of the hardest for both Mitchie and Alex, though they tried their absolute hardest to hide how shattered they actually were. Shane and Nate played along with the girls when they said they were okay, but they knew better. They knew, just by looking into the girls' eyes that they were far from okay.
Alex had Haylee with her twentyfour-seven, never letting her out of her sight. That didn't bother Haylee the slightest bit, though. She was so happy to be back with her Mommy.
It's Sunday today; the same day Mr. Russo, Mrs. Russo, and Max are coming home. The same day that Alex has to sit her parents down and explain to them that even though both she and Mitchie were almost raped, her nightmare was locked away and couldn't harm any of them again. To say she was nervous would be an understatement, but she was ready.
Alex walked down the stairs that morning, balancing Haylee on her hip, and into the kitchen where the strong scent of pancakes and bacon were coming from. She was dressed in a pair of blue jean shorts with a red Paramore band t-shirt and red flip-flops, her curly hair up in a ponytail. Haylee was wearing a big Spiderman t-shirt that said 'Chicks Love Superheroes' with black leggings underneath and black converse, her curly hair pushed back with a white headband. Even though it was the middle of November, it was still warm enough to wear things like that.
When they got to the bottom step, Alex set Haylee and walked over to the kitchen table, where Mitchie was sitting, a cup of coffee in her hand. Alex sat down across from her. Haylee ran off to the living room where Nate and Shane were.
''Morning, Mitchie. How did you sleep?" Alex asked her best friend. Mitchie looked at her and smiled a weak smile.
"Umm, I slept okay. What about you?" Mitchie asked in a tired, raspy voice. Alex could tell from the bags under Mitchie's eyes that she was lying. Alex sighed quietly and gave Mitchie an I'm-your-best-friend-you-can-tell-me-the-truth look. Mitchie sighed and looked away. When she looked back at Alex, tears completely filled her eyes.
"I just, I can't forget everything that happened, Lex. I can't make myself forget that some repulsive bastard had me trapped underneath him, stripped down only to my underwear, and was about to take something so valuable to me." Mitchie said, her voice cracking in various places. She looked down at her hands around the coffee cup and whispered, "I just don't know how you're so put together and okay when I'm falling apart."
Alex felt tears in her own eyes as she literally saw her best friend breaking, piece by piece.
"Mitchie, I'm not as put together as you think I am. On the outside, it sure looks like it, but on the inside I'm breaking apart. I have to make myself look like I'm completely okay, though, so my little girl won't worry about me. It's okay to feel scared and violated, and it's even okay to cry. We've been through a hell of a lot more than most people our age, and it's expected for us to break down and fall apart. But, we've at least got to try and stay strong. Our monster is locked away, and he's not coming back." Alex said to Mitchie, then reached a hand up and wiped away a few tears that fell. Mitchie looked back up at her and wiped her own tears.
Mitchie took a few slop, deep breath to calm herself down and stop the tears, then she stood up and walked to Alex. She reached down and hugged her tight, thanking God in her head for giving her such an amazing best friend.
"Thank-you, Lexie. I love you." Mitchie whispered as she continued to hug Alex. Alex hugged her back, sniffling just a little.
"I love you too, Mitch. Thank-you for saving me from him." Alex whispered back. Hearing Alex say those words, Mitchie was reminded of why she allowed Kevin to almost rape her; to save her best friend from her recurring nightmare. Mitchie hugged Alex even tighter as she thought about just how much Alex had been through in her life.
"You're the strongest person I know." was the last thing Mitchie whispered before the two pulled apart and Haylee ran into the room. Both girls were quick to wipe the tears from their faces so Haylee wouldn't suspect anything was wrong with them.
"Momma! Momma! Momma!" Haylee said excitedly as she ran to Alex and jumped into her lap. Alex and Mitchie smiled at the little girl.
"Haylee! Haylee! Haylee! What?" Alex asked the very excited Haylee, mocking her playfully. Haylee giggled as she looked at Alex.
"Gwandma and Gwandpa and Uncwle Max just pwulled up!" Haylee replied excitedly, her eyes shining. Alex shot Mitchie a nervous glance, thinking about having to tell them everything that happened, then looked back down at Haylee and forced an excited smile.
"That's great, Haybear! Why don't you go wait at the door for them." Alex said to Haylee, who nodded happily, jumped off of Alex's lap, and ran to stand by the door. Alex shot Mitchie another nervous glance, and Mitchie's expression matched her own then.
Both Mitchie and Alex stood up then and walked to the living room. Shane smiled at the girls, being the first one to notice they came in there.
"Hey Mitchie. Hey Alex." Shane said with a smile. Nate heard Shane and looked over at the girls, sending them a big smile.
"Hey Allie, Hey Mitchie. How are y'all today?" Nate asked the girls, hoping for a good response. It hurt both him and Shane to see them so hurt and fragile.
"Hey guys. Our parents and Max are back." Mitchie said, not wanting to answer Nate's question and disappoint him with her answer. Without another word, Mitchie turned and headed for the door to wait with Haylee. Shane stood up from the couch and followed after Mitchie, giving Alex a sort hug on his way out of the room. Alex walked over to Nate and sat down next to him.
"So, how are you today?" Nate asked Alex, smiling softly. Alex shrugged, faking a small smile.
"On the outside, I'm perfect. On the inside, not so much. But, you don't need to worry about me." Alex replied, crossing her legs and sitting back. Nate looked at her, and Alex could see the worry in his eyes. He reached over and grabbed her hand, holding it in his own, but before he could say anything they heard..
"Gwandma! Gwandpa! Uncwle Max!" Haylee squealed excitedly. Alex squeezed Nate's hand reassuringly one time, as if telling him to stop worrying about her, then stood up and walked around the corner to the front door. Nate sighed, then got up and followed her.
Mrs. Russo hugged Shane and Nate first, thanking them for keeping Alex, Haylee, and Mitchie safe. She then walked over to Mitchie and Alex. She took one look at them, and the girls watched as worry and concern filled her eyes.
"Girls, what's wrong?" she asked them flat-out. Mitchie and Alex looked at each other, then back at Mrs. Russo.
"What do you mean? Nothing's wrong." Alex lied, forcing a smile onto her face. Mitchie did the same. It wasn't the right time to tell them everything, especially not with Haylee standing there with them.
"I can tell something happened just by the looks on your faces. What's going on?" Mrs. Russo asked them, worry creeping into her voice. Alex and Mitchie looked at each other again. Alex sighed and looked down at Haylee.
"Haybear, why don't you go help Uncle Max unpack." Alex said to her little girl, who began grinning like that was the best idea in the entire world.
"Yay!" she squealed, then grabbed Max's hand and started pulling him towards the staircase. Chuckling at her, Max followed behind. Once they were gone, Alex sighed again and looked at her parents.
"Let's go to the living room to talk." she said to them, then began walking to the living room with Mitchie. Mr. and Mrs. Russo exchanged worried glances before they followed behind Nate and Shane, who decided it would help Alex and Mitchie if they were there with them.
The four teenagers sat down on the couch, and Mr. and Mrs. Russo each sat down in a chair across from them. They waited patiently while Alex and Mitchie took a few deep breaths.
An hour passed by, a long, tear-filled hour. In that hour, Alex and Mitchie explained to their parents everything that happened since they left. They couldn't look at their parents as they told them about Kevin almost raping both of them, but they didn't have to look to know how they took that information. They could hear Mrs. Russo choke on a sob and Mr. Russo sniffle quietly. After they were finished, no one said anything for a full fifteen minutes, both parents absorbing the information they were just told.
"My girls." Mrs. Russo said, then choked on another sob. Mr. Russo still didn't say anything, but it killed the girls to see the tears that filled his usually happy eyes. Alex shakily stood up and walked over to him, squatting down next to his chair. She forced her tears away and put her hand on his shoulder, deciding to stay as strong as she could for him.
"Daddy, everything's okay. I'm okay. And, if you need to cry, you can." Alex said to him, her voice cracking slightly at the end. Jerry looked down at his daughter, his little girl, and pulled her into his arms. He hugged her tightly, and he couldn't stop the tears that began quickly rolling down his cheeks.
Mitchie stood up and walked over to Teresa She didn't say a word as Teresa pulled her into a tight hug, holding on as if she were holding on for dear life.
And they stayed like that for the longest time, both parents holding on to the daughters they were so grateful were still alive and okay. Fortunately Max kept Haylee up in his room the whole time.
After about another hour, Mitchie pulled away from Teresa, and Teresa wiped Mitchie's tears.
"Are you okay, sweetie? Are you really okay?" Teresa asked her daughter gently. Mitchie nodded her head.
"I saved my best friend, and even if I'm still shaken up, it's completely worth it. I'll be okay." Mitchie replied reassuringly. Teresa smiled a tear-filled, sympathetic smile and kissed Mitchie's forehead.
"I'm proud of you. So, so proud of you." Teresa whispered.
"I love you, Daddy. Everything's going to be okay." Alex whispered softly to Jerry, who had just pulled away from her. He forced a smile on his face as he reached a hand out and pushed a stray piece of hair out of Alex's face.
"I love you too, my princess. And I'm so sorry that happened to you." Jerry said, his voice catching in his throat at the end. Alex wiped a few of her tears away.
"H-He.. He didn't.. fully r-rape me this time. Mitchie saved me. I'm going to be okay." Alex said to her dad shakily. He looked at her for a minute, before he pulled her into another hug. He was silently thanking God for such amazing and strong daughters.
Later on that night, after dinner….
Nate was in his room, sitting on his bed and studying for an algebra test he had tomorrow, when he heard a soft knock at his door. It was decided earlier that he and Shane would wait until the weekend to pack their stuff and head back to their own house.
Not looking up from his algebra book, he said "Come in!" A second later, Alex walked into his room, a guitar in one hand and a notebook in the other one. Nate looked up at her; she was dressed in a pair of grey sweatpants and an old purple t-shirt. He thought she looked beautiful.
Nate looked from Alex to the guitar and notebook in her hands. He shot her a puzzled look, and she sighed quietly and walked over to him. She sat down beside him on his bed.
"What's up, Allie?" Nate asked her. She looked at him.
"I-I wrote a song, and I really need to sing it to somebody. Mitchie and Haylee are asleep, and Shane's in there with Mitchie so he'll be there when she wakes up with nightmares. So I was wondering if I could sing it to you." Alex said quietly. Nate looked at her, one of his eyebrows raising. He had absolutely no idea that Alex wrote songs or sang or even played the guitar. But, nevertheless, he smiled at her.
"Of course you can, Allie. What's your song about?" Nate asked her, closing his algebra book and pushing it to the side.
"It's about, well everything that has happened to me basically. And everything that I know people are going to say about me when I get back to school. And how even though I've been through so much, I'm still strong." Alex replied, and Nate could hear just how fragile Alex was at that moment by the sound of her voice when she said that. He nodded at her, silently telling her that she could start.
Alex took a deep breath, then pulled her guitar into her lap. After another deep breath, Alex began strumming it. A second later, her beautiful voice filled the air in Nate's bedroom.
"Skies are crying, I am watching, catching teardrops in my hand. Only silence has its ending, like we never had a chance. Do you have to make me feel like there's nothing left of me?" Alex sung the first verse of her song beautifully, emotion filling her voice. She then began the chorus.
"You can take everything I have. You break everything I am. Like I'm made of glass, like I'm made of paper. Go on and try to tear me down, I will be rising from the ground. Like a Skyscraper." as Alex sang those words, Nate felt tears sting the back of his eyes. She'd put every emotion she had into her song, and he could hear just how much she was hurting. It killed him.
"As the smoke clears, I awaken, and untangle you from me. Would it make you feel better, to watch me while I bleed? All my windows still are broken, but I'm standing on my feet." Alex finished the second verse, then took a deep breath to keep her tears away as she sung the chorus again.
"You can take everything I have. You can break everything I am. Like I'm made of glass, like I'm made of paper. Go on and try to tear me down, I will be rising from the ground. Like a Skyscraper. Like a Skyscraper." Tears began to fall down Alex's face, but she didn't stop singing to wipe them away. It felt good to get her emotions out.
"Go. Run, run, run. I'm gonna stay right here, watch you disappear. Yeah. Go. Run, run, run. Yeah it's a long way down, but I am closer to the clouds up here." Alex finished singing the bridge and moved on to the chorus again. This time, though, it was filled with even more emotion, emotion she didn't even know she had.
"You can take everything I have. You can break everything I am. Like I'm made of glass, like I'm made of paper. Oh, oh. Go on and try to tear me down, I will be rising from the ground. Like a Skyscraper. Like a Skyscraper. Like a Skyscraper." Alex sang with as much passion as she could, tears continuously streaming down her cheeks. Nate watched in absolute amazement, a few tears even sneaking their way down his own cheeks.
"Like a Skyscraper." Alex finished then song, then set her guitar down. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before she opened them back up and wiped her tears away. Nate quickly wiped at his own tears before Alex could see them.
"Allie, that was absolutely beautiful. Will you sing again, for me?" he asked her in amazement. Alex looked up at him, and she could see the honesty in his eyes. She smiled a small smile.
"Maybe another time. I think that was enough crying for one night." Alex replied with her small smile. Nate smiled back at her and pulled her into a hug.
Alex squeezed her eyes shut into the hug, forcing her tears to stay away. When they pulled apart, she smiled at him.
"So, what were you studying when I came in?" Alex asked him, trying to start a normal conversation. Nate picked is algebra book up off the floor and set it back down in front of him.
"Algebra. I have this big test on it tomorrow." Nate replied making a disgusted expression. Alex giggled a little at him and pulled the book over to her so she could see it. She opened it to the page Nate had marked and looked down at it. She already knew how to do it, and Nate looked like he needed help, so she scooted closer to him and began explaining everything to him in great detail.
About two hours later, Nate finished the very last practice problem. Alex looked down at his work, then looked back up at him with a big grin.
"That's right!" she said to him, how proud she was of him audible in her voice. He grinned back at her and closed his book again.
"Thanks for helping me, Allie." Nate said to her, smiling. Alex smiled back, but didn't respond. She was quiet for a minute thinking about things, before she looked back at Nate.
"I'm ready to go back to school." she said to him. He felt his protectiveness of her overcome himself, and he looked at her worriedly.
"Allie, I don't know. It's only been a week since…" Nate started, but Alex cut him off with a small sigh.
"I know it's only been a week, but I've got to at last try to move on from everything. I know it's going to be hard because everyone knows about Haylee, but I can't just stay home for the rest of my life." Alex explained to him. Nate felt guilty as he thought about how much harder he made it for Alex by telling everyone about Haylee. Alex looked into his brown eyes and saw the guilt in them. She smiled reassuringly and placed her hand on his.
"Don't feel guilty. Everyone would have found out about Haylee eventually anyway." Alex whispered to him softly. He nodded, but he was quiet for a minute before he spoke again.
"So, are you starting back tomorrow?" he asked her. By his tone, Alex could tell that he wasn't exactly pleased about her going back, but he knew she needed to. Alex smiled and nodded.
"Yeah. Mitchie is too. I actually already talked to my parents about it earlier. My mom called and explained to the principal and counselor everything that happened, just so they'd know and sort of watch out for us." Alex replied.
"Me and Shane are going to watch out for y'all too. We won't let anybody hurt you." Nate said to her seriously. Alex smiled and nodded as she reached over and kissed Nate's cheek before she stood up.
"I figured y'all would, and I really appreciate it. Good night, Nate." Alex said to Nate before she grabbed her guitar and notebook, then walked out of Nate's bedroom. Nate smiled after her.
The next morning, Alex and Mitchie both got up especially early. Though both of them had nights filled with nightmares and tossing and turning, they were actually kind of excited to be going back to school.
"Should I wear the red shirt or the blue one?" Mitchie asked Alex as she held up two of the same shirts, just in different colors. Alex, who was sitting at her vanity fixing her hair, looked at them for a minute before she pointed to the blue and white striped shirt.
"The blue one. It's more you." Alex replied. Mitchie smiled and threw the red shirt back into the closet before she walked off to the bathroom to get dressed.
Alex smiled at her reflection in the mirror once she had her hair pushed back with a silver-sequined headband. She stood up and took a step back, checking her outfit. She was wearing a black t-shirt, a white tank-top with a strand of silver sequins going around it on top, with a pair of dark skinny jeans and white converse.
After making sure her eyeliner and mascara looked okay, Alex walked out of her bedroom and down the hall to Haylee's. When she walked inside, Haylee was still asleep in her bed, cuddled up with a white teddy bear she'd named Howard. Alex smiled lovingly at the sight before she walked over and squatted down next to her bed. She leaned down and kissed Haylee's cheek before she gently shook her awake.
After just a minute, Haylee's eyes fluttered open, and she smiled at her mommy.
"Morning, Mommy." little Haylee said as she sat up. Alex smiled at Haylee and pushed a piece of hair out of her face.
"Good morning, baby girl." Alex said with a smile, then pulled Haylee over and into her lap. Haylee wrapped her arms around Alex's neck and hugged her tightly.
"Now, listen. We've got to get you dressed; you're spending the day with Grandma today." Alex said as she stood up with Haylee still in her arms. Haylee pulled away from the hug and looked at Alex questioningly.
"Momma be there?" Haylee asked. Alex's smile faltered a little, and she sat down on Haylee's bed with Haylee still in her lap.
"No, Momma's not gonna be with y'all today. Momma and Aunt Mitchie are going to school with Nate and Uncle Shane today." Alex said gently to the worried little girl in her arms. Haylee looked at her again.
"When will you be bwack home?" Haylee asked her. Alex smiled reassuringly at her little girl. The excitedness she had over going back to school earlier that morning was slowly leaving her as she saw the sadness in her daughter's face.
"We'll be back home at 3:30. I promise, you'll have so much fun with Grandma, time will just fly by." Alex said then kissed the top of Haylee's head. Haylee sighed a small sigh, then held out her pinky finger at Alex.
"Pinky pwomise?" Haylee asked her, acting as if a pinky promise was the most serious promise any person could make. Alex had to hold back a giggle as she linked her own finger with her daughter's. When she did, Haylee began to smile again and she hugged Alex. Alex laughed and picked Haylee up, walking over to her closet.
"Alright girlie, let's get you dressed." Alex said with a grin as she set Haylee on the ground and opened the closet door.
Forty-five minutes later, Alex and Mitchie were standing at the front door of school. They'd been standing there for a full five minutes, but Alex couldn't make herself go inside. She was worried about the one thing she'd told herself not to worry about; that everyone would torment and torture her and call her names until the day she graduated. At that moment, Alex wanted to turn around and go back to her little girl, the one who wouldn't ever think a bad thought about her, let alone say one.
Alex turned to Mitchie, worry and fear filling her eyes. Mitchie saw it and pulled Alex into a big hug.
"Everything will be okay, Lexie. You can do this." Mitchie said to Alex once they pulled apart. She reached over and gave Alex's hand a reassuring squeeze before she opened the school doors and walked inside. Alex took a deep breath, then slowly followed behind Mitchie.
Nobody noticed her at first; they were all too busy catching up with their friends about what happened over the weekend. Alex felt hopeful, like nobody was going to say anything to her. That is, she felt hopeful until she reached her locker. What she saw made tears rush to her eyes and all the hopefulness fade away.
There, written on her locker in big, red letters, was the word SLUT.
Mitchie didn't notice it at first, but when she did, she quickly turned Alex away from it. She then looked at all the people who were either smirking or laughing while looking at Alex. Fire burned inside of Mitchie, and rage filled her body.
"THIS," Mitchie started, gesturing to her best friend's vandalized locker, "Is not funny! Whoever did this, you are a heartless, cold jerk." Mitchie said, then grabbed Alex's arm and pulled her away, leading her to the girls' bathroom. On their walk there, they were met with comments such as "Slut." or "Who's the father of your little brat?" or "Why the hell would anyone sleep with you?"
Those comments only made more tears fall down Alex's cheeks. She hated the fact that she as crying in front of these heartless people, showing them her weakness, but she couldn't stop herself. Their words hurt her.
Once they were safely in the bathroom, Alex sank down to the floor and cried into her knees. She knew that not everyone would respect her after they found out about Haylee, but she didn't expect everyone to be so cruel. She hadn't been prepared for that.
Mitchie took one look at her best friend and instantly felt pain for her. She walked over to her and sat down next to her, rubbing her back as she cried.
"Everything's gonna be okay, Lex. They're all just stupid and immature. If they knew what happened to get Haylee here, they wouldn't have done that. " Mitchie said softly to Alex as she continued to rub her back.
About fifteen minutes later, Alex took a few deep breaths, then looked up at Mitchie with mascara and eyeliner smeared eyes.
"M-Maybe that's the answer, Mitchie. Maybe I should just tell them about K-Kevin." Alex said as she wiped at her eyes. Mitchie looked at her.
"Lexie, its none of their business. You don't have to tell them if you don't want to." Mitchie said to her, trying to make sure that Alex had thought what she'd just said through. Alex sighed quietly and stood up. She walked over to the sink, where she washed the smeared makeup off her face. With her shaking hands, she pulled her makeup bag out of her purse and unzipped. Then, as she began to reo her eyeliner, she spoke.
"I know it's not any of their business, and I know I don't have to tell them anything. But, it would make things so much easier, Mitchie. They'd know not to call me that horrid name anymore." Alex said, her voice hoarse and filled with emotion. Mitchie stood up and walked over to her.
"If you're completely positive that telling them is what you want to do, then I'll be by your side the entire time." Mitchie said to her. And, for the first time since she'd gotten to school, Alex smiled. It was a very tiny smile, but it was still a smile.
A few minutes later, once Alex had her makeup fixed, she and Mitchie walked out of the bathroom. Each dirty comment she received on the way back to her locker felt like a kick in the stomach, but Alex just took a deep breath, thought about her daughter's sweet face, and kept walking. When she got to her locker, she was surprised to see Nate and Shane standing there, and the vandalism nowhere to be found.
Nate noticed the girls come up to them, and he smiled at them, though Alex could clearly see rage in his eyes.
"We cleaned up the mess on your locker for you." Nate said quietly to her. Alex smiled another small smile and hugged him tightly. She felt safe while she was in his arms.
"Thank-you." she whispered before they pulled apart. Once they did pull apart, Alex looked over at Mitchie, who shot her a reassuring glance. Alex took a deep breath, then turned to face the crowd that was still gathered around her locker.
"I-I have something to say." Alex said to them in a strong, yet shaky voice. One voice from the back of the crown piped up and yelled, "Is it something about ho you couldn't keep your legs together and wound up with a baby at fifteen years old?" that comment hurt Alex. The next one, though, "Slut!", that was yelled sent Alex over the edge.
"I said, I have something to say! Now, are you going to shut your heartless, judgmental mouths long enough to hear me say it?" Alex yelled this time, her voice stronger. The crowd just yelled more hurtful comments her way, and Alex felt herself breaking right there in front of them.
"I was raped! Three years ago, I was raped by some repulsive monster, and that's where my beautiful daughter came from! I'm not some s.. slut like all of you seem to think I am; I told him that I didn't want to have sex but he made me do it anyway. I didn't even get a choice." Alex's voice broke at the end. She couldn't stop the memories that flooded her mind, and she couldn't stop the tears that poured from her eyes.
The crowd, was completely speechless as they watched her shatter down in front of them. No one knew the right thing to say and they all felt guilty for the torment they gave her.
"I-I didn't want his dry lips anywhere on my body, and I-I didn't want his dirty self inside of me. But, I couldn't stop him. He… He was too strong for me. I-I couldn't stop him!" Alex said as memories flashed through her mind and her tears continued to pour down her cheeks. She was having a breakdown.
Alex sunk down to the floor as put her hands over her eyes as she tried to make the memories stop. But, they wouldn't. She tried to make her fountain of tears stop too, but they wouldn't stop either.
Mitchie saw her best friend in such a broken state, and she knew that the only person that could make her okay again was the only person not there at school. Mitchie stepped away for a minute and pulled out her cellphone. She dialed her mom's number as fast as she possibly could. She felt relieved when she picked up.
"Mitchie?" her mom answered, sounding confused and worried.
"Alex is having a huge breakdown, Mom. Will you please get Haylee here as fast as you can? I think she's the only one that can calm Alex down." Mitchie asked into the phone. She knew se sounded panicked, but she couldn't help it. She heard her mom gasp.
"Oh lord. Yes, I'll have Haylee there in about five minutes." her mom replied. Mitchie didn't say anything back, only hung up and ran over to Alex. She sat down next to her and hugged her tightly.
"Shh. Lexie, everything's okay. Haylee's going to be here soon, and everything's going to be okay." Mitchie said softly, though it didn't help anything. Alex just continuously cried and said "stop", trying to make the memories go away.
Mitchie sat with Alex for a few minutes, and Alex didn't get any better. That is, until she heard the voice of her little rock.
"Momma! Mommy!" little Haylee yelled as she ran from Mrs. Russo's arms to Alex. She wrapped her small arms around Alex and sat down in her lap. Mrs. Russo stood a sort distance away, the principal and the counselor right behind her just in case Haylee being there didn't help.
"It's otay, Momma. It's otay. Stop crying." Haylee said as she reached up and kissed Alex's nose.
That was all it took for the memories to completely stop. Alex wrapped her arms around Haylee and held her close, shaking with sobs.
"Oh, Haylee. My little Haylee Elle." Alex whispered as her sobs slowed and she was only crying.
"Everything's otay, Momma." little Haylee said softly again as she hugged Alex back.
It took a few minutes, but Alex's tears eventually stopped completely as she held Haylee close to her. Once her tears stopped completely, Alex continuously kissed Haylee's head.
"Thank-you, Haybear. Thank-you for making Mommy feel all better." Alex said as Haylee pulled away and just sat in her lap. Haylee looked at her worriedly.
"No mowre crying?" Haylee asked her, reaching one of her glitter-painted fingers up and wiping away the tears that were left on her Momma's face. Alex smiled.
"No more crying, Haylee." Alex replied, then kissed Haylee's cheek. She then looked beside her at Mitchie, who was still sitting there with her. She smiled at her.
"Thank-you, Mitch." Alex said to her, her voice hoarse. Mitchie smiled back at her through tear-filled eyes. She had been so worried about her best friend.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Mitchie asked her softly. Alex nodded, then glanced down at Haylee.
"I'm sure. This little princess helped me." Alex replied with a smile. She then stood up and balanced Haylee on her hip. Mitchie stood up too.
Nate and Shane walked over to Alex and they each kissed the top of her head. Shane then stepped away from Alex and stepped closer to the crowd that was still standing there, the crowd that caused Alex's whole breakdown. Shane glared at each and every one of them.
"Every last one of you own Alex a sincere apology; every last one of you. And, if she finds it somewhere in her heart to forgive you, consider yourself lucky." Shane said to them in a low, scary voice. Some people just rolled their eyes and walked away, feeling like they were too good to apologize. The rest of them just stood there, not making a move.
The principal stepped out from behind Mrs. Russo and in front of the crowd.
"I better not hear of anymore harassment towards Ms. Russo. You all know what happened now, and you should feel deeply ashamed for the words you said to her. Now, get to class!" the principal said to them. They didn't have to be told twice; they all scattered off to their first class.
Half an hour later, after reassuring the principal, her mom, the counselor, Mitchie, Shane, and Nate that she was okay and that the breakdown she'd just had was just a moment of weakness, and after saying goodbye to her little Haylee, they allowed Alex to head to class. Even after everything that just happened, she didn't want to go home. Sure, she'd love to spend the day with Haylee and her mom, but she felt like she had to show everyone that she was stronger than what they'd seen.
Alex, Mitchie, and Nate walked into Algebra class together; Shane had chemistry first block. When Alex stepped foot into the classroom, all eyes fell on her. Most of them had sympathy and guilt in them, but there were one or two that didn't. Alex just sighed and took her seat. She hated it when all the attention was on her.
Fortunately, Mrs. Robbins knew that Alex hated to be the center of attention, so all throughout class, she made sure she wasn't.
When the bell rang, signaling it was time for their second class, Alex stood up and began packing her bag. She stopped, though, when a girl she didn't know very well but knew her name was Leah came up to her.
Mitchie and Nate left and headed to their next class, so Alex could talk to the girl. Alex looked at the short, red-headed girl and smiled a small smile. Before she could say anything, though, Leah spoke up.
"My sister, Michelle, was six years older than me. Three years ago, she was raped. It hurt her so much when they couldn't find the guy that did it, she committed suicide. I'm glad you stayed stronger than she did. And, your daughter is beautiful." Leah said, then walked away, not giving Alex a chance to respond. It made Alex smile a little when she heard that girl call her strong, but it killed Alex that a girl in the same position she was in took their own life away. She wished she could have been there for that Michelle girl, to tell her that everything would be okay.
Alex stood there for a moment, before she swung her book bag and purse over her shoulder and left the classroom. She was stopped once again, though. But, this time it was a girl from the cheerleading squad, Alison Shortway, that stopped her.
"There is no way your child came from you being raped. You're just lying so that people don't think you're a slut." Was the first thing Alison said to her, and she said it in such a hateful tone, that Alex winced a little.
"You have every right to think whatever you want to think, but you're wrong." was all Alex said before she forcefully pushed past Allison and made her way to her second class.
Later on that night, shortly before dinner….
"What are you getting all dressed up for?" Alex asked Nate from the doorway of his room. Nate, who had been standing in front of the mirror in his room trying to tie his tie, turned around and smiled at Alex. Shane, who was sitting on Nate's bed, also smiled at Alex.
"Romeo here has a date tonight, and he's taking her to some fancy restaurant." Shane said, smirking when Nate's cheeks flushed a light pink. Alex giggled and walked over and sat down next to Shane.
"Ooh, lucky girl. Who is it?" Alex asked him with a smile. She was feeling much better by now. It seemed like she needed that breakdown in order to help herself move on. She honestly felt better.
"Her name's Alison Shortway. She's a cheerleader." Nate replied as he finally got his tie tied. Alex froze, remembering the words Alison had said to her earlier. The smile disappeared from Alex's face, an she stood up from the bed.
"Oh. Well, have fun." Alex said, her voice no longer holding happiness. Nate turned around and looked at her worriedly. He frowned when he saw the smile no longer across her face. For some reason, it bothered him deeply whenever Alex wasn't smiling. He figured it was just a best friend thing.
"Allie? What's wrong?" he asked her. Alex realized that she had upset Nate, and she quickly forced a smile onto her face.
"Nothing at all. Everything's okay. Have fun at dinner." she said to him, then hurried out of his room before he could ask her anything else. If Nate was taking this girl out on a date, then Alex felt as if she couldn't tell him what she'd said to her earlier. She couldn't ruin his date.
Nate looked at Shane after Alex left, worry etched into every part of his face.
"What just happened with her? She was happy when she came in here, then she all of a sudden became sad." Nate asked his brother worriedly as he sat down next to him. Shane studied Nate closely, and furrowed his eyebrows when he noticed that every part of Nate looked worried. More than just a best friend kind of worried.
"I don't know, but she said that she's okay." Shane replied, then watched as Nate sighed and turned to look at him.
"She says that all the time, Shane. And, she's never really just fine." Nate said to his brother, concern filling his eyes and face.
"We just have to trust her then, Nate. She'll come to us or Mitchie if something's bothering her enough to talk about it. Why are you so worried?" Shane asked.
"Did you not see her breakdown this morning? That was the worst thing I've ever had to witness in my entire life. She just looked so fragile and broken, and I was so scared." Nate replied, emotion creeping into his voice. Shane was quiet for a minute before he asked the question that was bothering him.
"Dude, do you like Alex? I mean, like her as more than a friend?" Shane asked his brother, watching as Nate's cheeks flushed red.
"Where did you get that idea from? Alex is just my beautiful, strong, talented best friend." Nate replied, smiling as he thought about Alex. Shane smirked a little.
"You haven't denied liking her yet." he pointed out. Nate stood up and walked back over to his mirror. He began fidgeting with his tie.
"Dude, I like Allie as just a friend. Nothing more than that." Nate said, not looking Shane in the eyes as he said so. Shane smirked, able to tell that his brother was lying, then stood up. He walked over to his little brother and pat him on the shoulder before he turned to leave.
"Whatever you say, Little Brother. Whatever you say." Shane said with a knowing smirk before leaving Nate's room. After Shane left, Nate just stood there in front of the mirror.
He thought about the question Shane asked him, and he immediately shook is head no. He didn't love Allie like that. He couldn't love Allie like that. She was his best friend, and she wasn't ready to be in a relationship with anybody yet.
Nate thought about Alex, his beautiful Allie. He thought about her beautiful brown eyes, the eyes that sparkled whenever she laughed or smiled. He thought about her long, dark, curly hair that always looked perfect to him, even when it was just pulled into a messy bun. And he thought about her laugh, the sound that was so beautiful to him, it made him laugh as well.
"I don't like Allie like that." Nate said to himself as he grabbed his phone, car keys, and wallet off his nightstand.
'Yes, you do.' continuously floated through Nate's mind as he headed down the stairs and out the front door.
A/N: Anddd, that's it for this episode! I hope y'all liked it, especially the ending! (:
Remember to please try and help me reach my goal of 50 reviews on this story before it ends! It would mean a lot to me, and I know my readers can do it. (:
What did y'all think about Nate realizing his feelings for Alex? What about him going out on a date with Alison, the girl who said such a hurtful thing to Alex?
Tell me! PLEASE REVIEW! I love hearing what you guys think. (:
Also, the preview from the last one, "We found out that there was another girl that Kevin attacked." will be on the next episode. (:
I love y'all! God bless! (:
- Jordan. (:
Here's a look at what's to come on the next episode…..
"I would like everyone to meet my new girlfriend, Alison."
….
"Get away from me, you little brat!"
…
"I can't tell Nate about how his girlfriend was mean to me and Haylee. He really likes her, and he deserves to be happy."
….
"What's wrong, Haybear?" ; "Mean lady hurwt me."
"Go on and try to tear me down. I will be rising from the ground, Like a Skyscraper." - Demi Lovato.
"Who says you're not beautiful?" - Selena Gomez.