Fire and Ice
Episode 10: The Storm
By: daddyslittleprincess123
A/N: You guys, some of my most favorite people in the whole wide world, got me to 53 REVIEWS soooo fast! Y'all are nothing short of incredible and amazing. And, I love you. (; T H A N K Y O U !
I feel bad that y'all were so amazing, and I haven't updated this for y'all since like July. And, I'm REALLY, REALLY sorry about that. I've just been so busy lately with school starting back and everything, that I just haven't had any spare time. I'm taking classes this year that are much harder and require much more studying and work than the classes I took last year. BUT, I'm back. (: And I'm really going to try hard to update much more often; meaning I'll try my absolute best not to make y'all have any more 2 month waits between chapters. Thank-you so, SO much for your patience. I love y'all. (:
It meant so much to me that nobody disagreed with what I said about the cyber bullying on the last episode, and that some of y'all even said that you'd always remember to spread LOVE instead of HATE. (:
ALSO, if you haven't heard Demi's new album 'UNBROKEN' yet, Go. Listen. To. It. It's amazing, incredible, wonderful, and just so much more. Demi's voice is pure magic. I'm one very proud Lovatic. (:
Now, after all that, I hope y'all enjoy this episode! I love you all bunches, and I'm so blessed to have you in my life.
Chasingtheimpossible: Hahaha, I'm pretty sure lots of people wanted to slap Alison. But, she has to be there; I mean, what's a story without a little drama? (: I'm glad you liked the last episode, and I hope you like this one tooo! (:
Written-in-hearts: I know, the cyber bullying really affected me, and I don't even know the poor people that were getting bullied. It was terrible. But, thank-you for keeping them in your prayers. (: I'm glad you liked the last episode! And you're right; Alison is a really mean girl. You'll see some more of that in this episode. It makes me happy to know that you'll always spread love. (: I hope you like this episode!
Brittana Forever: Well, thank-you very much. (: I'm trying to update a lot more often than I have been, though it's getting to be very difficult with school to have to deal with as well; I'm glad that makes you happy. (: I hope you like this episode as much as the last one! Your review made me smile. (:
TwistedRose97: Really good guess, but the other person Kevin raped isn't Leah's sister. You'll see who it was in the next episode, and it'll be a part of the sequel. (: I'm glad you liked the last episode, and I hope you like this one as well. (: Thank-you for your review!
alwaysjustme15: Long Way To Happy by P!nk is a really good song, and I listened to it after I read your review. But, just curious, why did you review it to me? I hope you like this episode! (:
unperfectt: Your reviews always make me so happy. (: Hahaha. I couldn't let everything be easy for Nate and Alex to get together; what fun would that be? (; I can't wait for more of your angsty reviews about Nate and Alex, haha. I'm glad you liked the 'Yes You Do' from Nate. That part was fun to write; I adore writing Nalex scenes. I'm gad you're excited with the way things are going for Nate and Alex. And, I'm trying to make each chapter longer now; I've gotten to where my chapters don't feel complete if they're not at least ten pages long when I type them. Thank-you for noticing. (: I hope you like this episode!
Ally-Woods-rox: Hahaha, I love that you're wishing bad things on Alison. I promise, everyone is going to hate her by the end of this story. (: And you're right, Alex is getting a lot of drama and hurt right now, but you can't get a rainbow without a storm first, right? (: I'm glad you loved the last episode, and I hope you love this one too! (:
Maya07: This is going to sound so weird, but hearing that my writing makes someone cry is one of the best compliments I feel like I can receive. It means it was written well enough for my readers to feel my characters' emotions. So, thank-you! (: I really hope you like this episode!
seldemxoxo: Wow, thank-you so much. (: That means a lot to me, truly. (: I'm so happy you like it so much. I really hope you like this episode!
Mia: Well, thank-you very much. (: It makes me smile to know that you like it so much. (: I hope you enjoy this episode!
NelenaVillage: Sorry I made you wait, BUT I'm happy it was worth it! (: I love writing the parts with Haylee and Alex; they're my most favorite. Haha. And, even though she IS a bitch, you can't kill Alison just yet. But, as soon as I'm through with her for this story, feel free. Haha. (: Andd, I hope you like this episode!
ariana kaylani: When I read your review, I was laying in my bed with my laptop, just checking my email before I went to sleep. I read your review, then reread it over and over again as I just hugged my teddy bear and cried. It really touched my heart. I'm so deeply sorry about your beautiful sister. I have a sister too, and it kills me to just imagine life without her. It literally brings me to tears. It means the world to me that my story is helping you understand and get through everything. I hope things get better for you at home, and I'm sure they will after time passes. So, you're more than welcome for helping you. Thank YOU for sending me such a touching review that I will forever remember. You're in my heart, and I'm praying for you. Stay strong, sweetie. (:
(this person didn't have a username): I'm so glad you really like my story. (: And I'm sorry you don't like that Nate is going out with Alison. Things will get better, though. Pinky promise. (: I never made that connection between Haylee and Caylee Anthony before. But, Caylee is a beautiful little angel in Heaven now, helping God make the stars twinkle just a bit brighter every night. It's okay to think of Caylee when I write Haylee. But, if you don't want to do that, then just picture her as Selena Gomez when she was little. That's what I had in mind when I started this story. (: And, I'll definitely keep writing, so be ready to keep reading! Thank-you for your review! (:
RamenNoodlez: Thank-you very much for helping me with my goal! And, I'm so happy you love my story. (: Everytime I hear someone say that they love my story, I get this big, bright, face-eating smile that completely overtakes my entire face. So, thank-you. And, I hope you like this episode! Also, I wasn't sure what you mean by 'Spread the ramen love', but I love you. (:
Y'all are I N C R E D I B L E , and I love you. God Bless. (:
You have EVERY right to a BEAUTIFUL life . Stay Strong . (:
And, enjoy this episode! (:
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the idea for this story and little Haylee. (:
PS: Be expecting some drama ahead.. And for things to not go quite how you had them in mind.. (;
STARTING STORY:
Two weeks passed by quickly. Nate and Shane both moved back to their own house, though Shane is over at the Russo's every single day. Nate continued seeing Alison after their first date, and they've hung out every day for the past two weeks. He's over at the Russo's sometimes, though not every day and not nearly as much as Shane is.
As for Alex and Mitchie, they are both doing a lot better.
After Alex's breakdown in the middle of school, she's felt like a ton of bricks were lifted off her shoulders. The nightmares are still there, of course, but they don't occur every night like they used to. Just being able to have Haylee with her every day helps her with everything. Things at school have gotten better for her. She's not the center of attention or the latest big gossip story anymore. Many people still stare at her with sympathy in their eyes, and every so often, someone stops her to tell her about how they wouldn't have been able to make it if they'd gone through the same thing she'd gone through. But she's okay with it because they're not saying hurtful things to her anymore.
Things with Alison have gotten considerably worse for Alex. Alison stops her every chance she can in the hallway to tell her what a slut she thinks she is. Alex just responds with an eye roll and walks away. Alison's words do cause her pain, yes, but she's trying her hardest to ignore them as much as she can. She hasn't told anybody about Alison's constant harsh words, especially not Nate.
Shane is helping Mitchie get through everything, and she's doing better as well. Her nightmares are still there too, but they've gotten to where they sometimes don't come back for a few nights at a time. Every night she goes to bed, she whispers a short prayer, asking God to make that night a night without nightmares.
It's the weekend finally, Saturday. After getting dressed in blue jean shorts and a simple white t-shirt with a lime green tank top underneath and applying make-up, deciding to keep her hair down in its natural curls, Alex slid on a pair of flip-flops and headed downstairs. It was a little past ten, and she felt so refreshed after being able to sleep in later than she'd been able to all week long.
When she got downstairs, she saw Haylee eating a bowl of cereal at the table with Mitchie. Her mom was over in the kitchen area mixing something together in a big yellow bowl. Alex grinned as her eyes met her daughter's and she saw Haylee's eyes light up.
"Momma!" she squealed as she jumped down from her chair and ran over to Alex. Alex hugged Haylee, then lifted her up into her arms, balancing her on her hip. Mitchie smiled at the sight.
"She's been up since seven waiting to see you." Mitchie said to Alex with a smile. Alex smiled back and kissed Haylee's cheek.
"You should have came and crawled in bed next to Momma, Haybear." Alex said to her little girl as she carried her back over to her chair and sat her down so she could finish her cereal.
"Gwandma said no becwause you needed more swleep." Haylee said, then picked up her spoon and took a big bite of fruit loops. Alex giggled as she had to pick up Haylee's napkin and wipe drops of milk off of her chin.
"Well, I'm glad you were a good girl and listened to her then. Tomorrow morning you can come snuggle with me, though." Alex promised the little girl with a smile, then walked over to the coffee pot on the counter next to her mom. She got a cup, then filled it up with the steaming hot liquid. After taking a sip, she looked at what her mom was doing and furrowed her eyebrows.
"What are you making?" Alex asked her mom, then took another sip of her coffee. Mrs. Russo smiled over her shoulder at Alex.
"I am making homemade chicken pot pie." Mrs. Russo replied and continued to stir the contents of the bowl.
"Sounds good. What's the occasion?" Alex asked her as she walked over to a bowl on the counter across from her and picked up an apple that was laying inside of it.
"Shane and Nate are coming over for lunch, and Nate's bringing his new girlfriend." Mrs. Russo replied as she finally began to pour the contents of the bowl into a casserole dish. Alex's eyes widened at what her mother just said, and she almost dropped the apple in her hand. She whirled around to face her mother.
"His.. His new girlfriend?" Alex asked. Nate hadn't told her anything about having a girlfriend. Sure, he hadn't been over to visit her since Tuesday and she hadn't been to his house to see him because she was so busy with her homework and Haylee, but she thought for sure Nate would have called her and told her something like this.
"Yes, his new girlfriend. Alison something." Mrs. Russo replied, oblivious to the fact that Alex was far from happy about her reply. Alex felt her stomach drop at the sound of Alison's name. Of course she was his new girlfriend. It made sense as Alex stood there with wide eyes and thought about it. Nate made time each day for the past two weeks to hang out with Alison, which even meant leaving several days without coming to visit her or Mitchie. And they spent several hours on the phone together, either text messaging back and forth or simply talking, which was why Alex hadn't had a conversation with him over the phone or a text message conversation that lasted longer than four messages all week
"Oh." was all Alex said as she gently set the apple back in the bowl on the counter, then started walking toward the stairs, her coffee cup in hand. She stopped and turned to Haylee.
"I'll be in my room if you need me, Haybear." Alex said to Haylee, ignoring the weird look Mitchie was giving her then heading up the stairs to her room.
Once in her room, Alex set her cup of coffee down on her desk and sat on her bed. She took a deep breath in, and then let it out, trying to make herself feel better as much as she was trying to calm all the different thoughts that were whirling around in her head.
And for reasons Alex couldn't calm her thoughts down long enough to figure out, tears began trickling down her cheeks.
Alex had been sitting there for a minute, just letting the tears fall freely down her face without even bothering to wipe them away, when Mitchie walked in. She took one look at Alex, then quickly walked over to her and pulled her into a hug.
"Hey, what's the matter? What's wrong?" Mitchie asked her best friend, worried in the back of her mind that Alex was having another breakdown. Alex just shook her head and pulled away from Mitchie. For the first time in her entire life, Alex didn't want to tell Mitchie what was wrong.
Mitchie shot Alex a confused look and gently placed a hand on her arm.
"Hey, whatever it is, you can tell me. I'm your best friend, Lexie." Mitchie said reassuringly. Alex sighed deeply and wiped at her tears, feeling very dumb and childish at that moment for crying over such a little thing, especially since there wasn't anything she could do to change the situation. Nate was going to date Alison regardless of what Alex thought about it..
"N-Nate has a girlfriend." Alex said in a small voice. Mitchie shot her another confused look and furrowed her eyebrows in response.
"Why does Nate having a girlfriend bother you, Lex?" Mitchie asked her gently, though confusion was present in every word she spoke. Alex just looked at Mitchie and sighed.
"It's not the fact that he has a girlfriend, Mitchie. It's who his girlfriend is." Alex said in a tired voice. And, she was tired; tired of having Alison in her life, tired of her life being so complicated all the time.
"What's wrong with Alison?" Mitchie asked her best friend. Mitchie herself didn't have anything against Alison, though she didn't know her very well yet. Alex looked into Mitchie's eyes as more tears filled her own.
"If I tell you something, will you promise, no, swear, not to tell Nate?" Alex asked Mitchie. Mitchie furrowed her eyebrows in confusion again. Since Alex and Nate had become friends again, Mitchie knew that Alex didn't keep secrets from him. Nothing Alex was saying was making sense to her.
"Lex, you know I won't tell Nate something you don't want me to. Now, tell me what's the matter." Mitchie said to her. Alex sighed and looked down at her hands for a minute. A minute later, she looked back up at Mitchie.
"Alison's, well…. She's…." Alex started, finding it hard to come up with he right word to describe the witch she now had to call Nate's girlfriend.
"She's what, Lex?" Mitchie asked, urging her to continue. Alex sighed again as she finally came up with the perfect word.
"Alison's a bitch, Mitchie." Alex said very bluntly. Mitchie raised her eyebrows in surprise at Alex's statement.
"Wow, why don't you tell me how you really feel?" Mitchie said in a sarcastic, but amused, voice. Alex sighed for what she felt was about that millionth time that morning.
"I'm serious, Mitch. She's not good for Nate." Alex said, a sort of desperation in her voice. The amusement in Mitchie's face vanished, and she once again looked at Alex worriedly. She could tell Alex was on the verge of crying again.
"Alex, why don't you like Alison?" Mitchie asked her gently. Alex was quiet for a minute.
Alex didn't want to have to explain everything to Mitchie. She felt like she did in first grade, when she had to tell her parents because Tyler Collins waited everyday for a week until their class was lining up for recess to trip her and steal her zip-lock bag of animal crackers. At first, she thought she could handle Tyler on her own, and she felt very weak in the end when she broke down and told her parents. Right now, Alex was feeling weak because Alison's words were really starting to hurt her.
"She's just said some things to me that weren't exactly nice." Alex replied quietly, though Mitchie could tell by the sound of her voice that there was much more to the story that she wasn't telling her. Mitchie looked at Alex with an -if-you-don't-tell-me-the-whole-truth-I-can't-help-you-feel-better look. Alex sighed again.
"Fine. Alison stops me every chance she possibly can at school to tell me what a slut she thinks I am. She's been doing it every day since I came back to school." Alex replied in a small voice, forcing her tears not to fall again.
"I'm gonna kill her." Mitchie said, and Alex could see the fire and rage fill Mitchie's chocolate-brown eyes. Alex just shook her head and hugged Mitchie. They pulled back a minute later, and were quiet for a minute, the thoughts in their heads going a mile a minute.
"If it doesn't bother you or anything, I think I'm just going to stay up here while Alison's over later. I'll just tell mom I have a headache or something." Alex said a minute later, having already decided in her mind that she couldn't make herself face Alison. Mitchie nodded.
"After what you've told me, she'll be lucky to make it out of this house alive." Mitchie said, anger still evident in her voice. Alex giggled a little, happy to have a best friend that would always be on her side.
"You're the best, Mitchie." Alex said with a small smile on her face. Mitchie looked at Alex and smiled, despite the anger circling around in her body.
Alex and Mitchie both went back downstairs a few minutes later, and Alex felt a lot better after talking to Mitchie about everything. She went straight over to her Haylee, who was now watching 'Dora The Explorer' on the couch in the living room, and scooped her up into her arms, planting a kiss on her cheek.
"What does my little princess want to do for a little while before Nate and Uncle Shane get here?" Alex asked her little girl with a smile as she carried her into the kitchen. Haylee giggled.
"Will you read me a storwy?" Haylee asked Alex as Alex opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water for herself. Alex looked at Haylee and smiled.
"I sure will, baby girl. Why don't you go get the story you want me to read, and we'll read it on the couch?" Alex suggested to Haylee as she set her down on the ground. Haylee grinned, then ran off to find one of her books. Alex smiled after her, then walked back into the living room. She turned the TV off and put a few of Haylee's toys in her toybox before she sat down on the couch and took a drink of her water.
Haylee ran into the room a minute later, 'Cinderella', her very favorite book, in her tiny hands and a grin identical to Alex's on her face. Haylee jumped up into Alex's lap, and Alex took the book from her and smiled.
"Now, how did I know you were going to pick this book?" Alex asked Haylee playfully, making Haylee giggle, then opened the book to the first page and began reading.
….
"And they all lived happily ever after. The end." Alex finished reading 'Cinderella' to Haylee with a smile and glanced down at her watch. It was just reaching noon. Haylee was quiet for a minute before she spoke up.
"Momma?" Haylee asked softly as she laid her head back onto Alex's chest. Alex smiled and stroked a stray curl out of Haylee's face.
"What is it, Haybear?" Alex asked.
"Who is your pwrince charwming?" Haylee asked, a curious look on her face. Alex smiled at her question, though she hesitated answering for a minute, trying to think of the right response.
"Well, sweetie, I don't really know yet. True love like Cinderella and Prince Charming had takes time to grow strong and real. But, when I do figure out who my Prince Charming is, you'll be the first one I tell." Alex replied, tickling Haylee a little at the end. Haylee giggled, and Alex could tell she was about to ask another question, but she was stopped when the doorbell rang. Haylee's brown eyes lit up.
"Uncwle Shane and Nate!" the three-year-old squealed, then jumped off of Alex lap and ran to the front door. Alex felt knots form in her stomach, but she stood up anyway and followed Haylee to the door. Haylee was already opening it when Alex got there.
"Uncwle Shane!" Haylee squealed again once the door was opened. Shane chuckled and pulled Haylee up into his arms. He stepped inside followed by Nate and, much to Alex's disliking, Alison. Shane pulled Alex in for a hug, and she smiled at him once they pulled away.
"This little one has been so excited to see her Uncle Shane today." Alex said with a grin and gently tugged on Haylee's leg. Haylee giggled and threw her arms around Shane's neck, hugging him.
"Where's my hug, Allie?" Nate asked in a teasing voice. Alex smiled and looked at him.
"I'm not sure, stranger. It's been so many days since you last came to see me, I'm not sure I know who you are anymore." Alex teased him with a grin, then hugged him back tightly. He chuckled as he hugged her. When they pulled apart, Nate gestured to Alison, who was holding his hand tightly, as if her life depended on it. Alex fought away the urge to roll her eyes at her.
"I think you and Alison probably already know each other." Nate said with a smile. Alison eyed Alex up and down with a quick look of disgust, then put the fakest smile Alex had ever seen on her face. Alex just simply forced the smallest smile she could, though hatred could clearly be seen in her eyes.
"Yeah, I know her." Alex said, her voice about as cold as an icicle. Nate raised an eyebrow at her, as if asking her what her problem was.
"I want Nate!" Haylee said, saving Alex from having to explain herself. Shane chuckled and passed Haylee over to Nate. Nate smiled as Haylee threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.
"I mwissed you!" Haylee said as she loosened her grip around Nate's neck and looked at him. He smiled at her again, even bigger this time.
"I missed you too, Haylee. I'll try to come by more often to see you and your mommy." Nate said, making both Haylee and Alex smile, Alex's coldness completely disappearing. Haylee looked from Alex to Nate, and then her eyes landed on Alison. She stared at her curiously for a moment before she spoke.
"She not as pwetty as Momma." was all Haylee had to say about the bleach-blonde cheerleader hand-in-hand with Nate. Alex stifled a laugh as she took Haylee into her own arms and smiled at Nate and Shane, completely ignoring the obviously not very pleased Alison..
"We're just gonna go get Mitchie and tell her that y'all are here. Make yourself at home in the living room." Alex said quickly before she walked off to the stairs. Once she was safely out their hearing range, she let out a giggle and kissed Haylee's cheek.
"Thank-you, Haybear." Alex said as she slowly walked up the stairs. Haylee, who couldn't seem to figure out what was so funny about what she'd said, just look at her mommy with confusion written clearly across her face.
"But it was the twuth, Momma." Haylee said. Alex giggled again and hurried the rest of the way to Mitchie's room. When she walked inside, she saw Mitchie sitting at her vanity applying a light pink colored lip-gloss.
"Shane and Nate are here with the wicked witch of the west." Alex said as she sat down on Mitchie's bed. Mitchie giggled as she put the top back on her tube of lip-gloss. Haylee jumped down from Alex's lap and walked over to Mitchie.
"I want lip stwick." Haylee said as she looked at Mitchie. Mitchie smiled at Haylee, then looked over at the tubes of lip-gloss lined up on her vanity. She finally found a pink glittery one and put some on her finger, then put it on Haylee's lips.
"There! Now you're as pretty as a princess. And, it even matches your nails." Mitchie said with a grin. She giggled when Haylee's smile got ten times bigger and she ran over to Mitchie's desk and picked up her princess crown she'd left in there the night before, then lifted it onto her head.
"You look so pretty, Haybear!" Alex said with a smile. Haylee giggled. Mitchie stood up from her vanity and picked Haylee up into her arms. She looked at Alex.
"I'll take her back down there with me. Do you want me to tell Mom and Dad that you have a headache?" Mitchie asked Alex as she balanced Haylee on her hip. Alex sighed a little, wishing she could enjoy the afternoon with Nate, Shane, and the rest of her family.
"Yeah. Thanks for watching her, Mitchie. And if one of y'all needs me, I'll just be in my room." Alex replied. Mitchie nodded and carried Haylee out of the room and downstairs.
When they got down there, Mr. and Mrs. Russo, along with Max, were already in the living room with Shane, Nate, and Alison. Mitchie set Haylee down, and Haylee ran over to sit in Mrs. Russo's lap. Mitchie's smile got brightened significantly when Shane spotted her and walked up to her, pulling her in for a kiss. He smiled at her when they pulled apart.
"So, how are you today?" he asked her, and she knew he was referring to how she was in relation to the Kevin-nightmare. Mitchie's smile faltered a little as she remembered her nightmare from the night before and waking up in tears and sweat, but she quickly covered it up. Putting on her best smile.
"I'm doing better. I'm not completely better yet, but I'm getting there." Mitchie replied truthfully, then took Shane's hand and led him over to the couch, sitting down beside him.
"Mitchie, where's Alex?" Mr. Russo asked as Mitchie snuggled closer to Shane. Mitchie looked at him and put on a sympathetic smile.
"Oh, she got a bad headache all of a sudden, so she decided to lay down. She said she'd try to come down later if she starts feeling better." Mitchie replied. Mr. Russo nodded.
"Have you met Alison yet, Mitchie?" Mrs. Russo asked from her seat beside Nate. Mitchie glanced at Alison with a cold, disinterested look, then she looked back at Mrs. Russo, her face going back to normal but hatred dominating her eyes..
"I think she's in my English class." was Mitchie's reply in a cold voice, much like Alex's had been before. Shane and Nate looked at her weirdly, but she ignored it. Mitchie had it decided that the only way she was going to be able to keep from killing the nasty cheerleader was to pretend that she wasn't even in the room. So far, she was doing really good.
"Well, I'll go check the chicken pot-pie in the oven. The sooner it's done, then sooner we can eat." Mrs. Russo said with a smile as she stood up. Mr. Russo stood up behind her.
"I'm going to go with her, in case she needs someone to taste it to see if it's done." Mr. Russo said with a playful grin as he followed Mrs. Russo into the kitchen. Haylee sat down in the seat Mrs. Russo had been sitting in before.
"Is anybody thirsty? I think I'm gonna go get a Sprite or something." Mitchie asked as she stood up. Shane stood up with her, not wanting to let go of her hand. She smiled a quick smile at him.
"Sprite sounds good." Nate said with a smile.
"Okay. Do you want anything, Haylee-Bug?" Mitchie asked Haylee, who grinned at her.
"Jwuice!" Haylee replied excitedly. Mitchie smiled at her niece, then nodded and walked off with Shane before Alison had the chance to reply. Nate looked after her weirdly, wondering why she was treating his girlfriend so rudely. It wasn't like her. He stood up, the confused look still on his face.
"I, um, need to go talk to Mitchie for a second. I'll be right back." he said to Alison, then walked off to find Mitchie. After he left, Alison leaned back on the couch and sighed, glancing down at her perfectly-manicured nails boredly. Haylee was quiet for a minute before she stood up and walked over to Alison, her usual sweet smile she got from Alex on her face.
:"I'm a pwincess." Haylee said with a sweet smile to Alison. Alison glanced up from her nails and shot a disgusted look in Haylee's direction.
"Get away from me, you little brat!" Alison said to her, faltering the little girl's smile just a little. Haylee had never had an experience before where someone didn't like her, so she was confused by Alison's harsh tone.
"But see my cwrown? It's mwagic!" Haylee said, trying again. This time, Alison reached a hand out and roughly pushed Haylee away from her, making the little girl fall to the ground. The crown that had been on Haylee's head fell when she did and broke when it hit the floor.
"I said to stay away from me, you stupid brat." Alison said, as if what she'd just done was okay. Tears quickly filled Haylee's eyes, then rushed out, spilling down her cheeks in a rush. She slowly got up from the floor, picked up the two pieces to her crown, and ran as fast as her little legs would take her out of the room and up the stairs to her mommy.
With Nate, Shane, and Mitchie…
"Okay, what's up with you and Alex?" Nate asked, slightly frustrated, as he looked at Mitchie, who was getting a can of Sprite out of the refrigerator. Mitchie and Shane both gave him a weird look in response to his question..
"What do you mean, what's up with me and Alex?" Mitchie asked him, feigning innocence, as she grabbed another can of Sprite and a juice box. He sighed.
"Why are y'all treating Alison so coldly?" Nate asked her. She raised an eyebrow at him as she shut the refrigerator and handed him his can of Sprite.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Nate." she replied innocently as she walked past him and back into the living room. She looked around when she got in there and noticed that Haylee wasn't anywhere to be found. Even though it went against her plan to completely ignore Alison, Mitchie turned to her anyways..
"Where is Haylee?" Mitchie asked her, her voice changing from normal like it was when she was talking to Nate and Shane to ice cold. Alison looked at her.
"I don't know. The kid ran off crying or something." Alison replied, and from the way she sounded, Mitchie figured that Alison couldn't care less if Haylee had walked out the front door and into the middle of a busy highway. Mitchie shot a dirty look at Alison then sighed and glanced down at the purple juice box in her hand.
"I'm gonna go take this to her and make sure she's okay. I'll be back in a few minutes." Mitchie said, mainly to Nate and Shane, then turned and headed for the staircase.
With Alex and Haylee….
Alex was walking from the bathroom back to her bedroom when she heard her little girl's sniffles coming up the stairs. Furrowing her eyebrows, Alex walked to the top of the stairs. Sure enough, her Haybear was walking up, tears pouring down her cheeks.
"Haybear?" Alex asked worriedly as she took the stairs two at a time down and scooped Haylee up into her arms, hugging her tightly to her chest as she carried her back up and into her room. Alex sat down on her bed and hugged Haylee until her tears slowed down.
"What's wrong, Haybear?" Alex asked her gently as she brushed some curls out of her face. Alex saw the two pieces of the crown in her hands and gently took them into her own hands. She looked down at them worriedly, then back to her daughter. She wanted to know what happened, and she wanted to know right then.
"Mean lady hurwt me." Haylee replied through tears, then pointed to a scratch on her arm she'd gotten when Alison pushed her down. Alex gently rubbed the small scratch gently with her thumb as she looked at her little girl with worry and concern.
"Sweetie, tell Mommy what happened. What mean lady?" Alex asked her, though she suspected her daughter was talking about Alison.
"I showing her that I'm a pwincess and I showed her my pwincess cwrown, and she pushed me down and my cwrown bwroke." Haylee replied as more tears rolled down her cheeks. Alex hugged her to her chest again and stroked her long curls, trying to calm her down, as rage and anger filled her own body. It was one thing for that bitch to be mean to her, but something completely different for her to lay a hand on Haylee and make her cry.
"Shhh. It's okay, baby. Momma will get you a new crown that's even more magical. Everything's okay." Alex said soothingly as she reached down and kissed the top of Haylee's head. After a few minutes, Haylee's tears were long gone, though the little girl was still sad. Alex sat her up and wiped away her tears with her thumbs.
"Let's go put some shoes on those feet of yours, and then I'll take you to get a brand new crown. How does that sound?" Alex asked, smiling when she saw a small smile make its way across Haylee's face. Haylee nodded, and Alex stood up and balanced her on her hip.
Alex was carrying Haylee through the hallway to her bedroom, when she saw Mitchie at the top of the stairs. Alex stopped and her own anger-filled eyes met Mitchie's worried ones. Mitchie walked up to her. She placed one hand gently on Haylee's back and handed the juice box that was in her other hand to the little girl. She then looked at Alex.
"What happened?" Mitchie asked her, confusion and worry circling around in her eyes. Alex looked down at her little girl in her arms and set her down on the ground.
"Sweetie, go get your white sandals on, then we'll go to the store." Alex said to her, sending her off because she knew that retelling the story of Alison hurting her would just upset her again.
"Otay, Momma." Haylee said with a small smile as she ran off to her room. Alex waited until she was sure Haylee was out of earshot before she turned to Mitchie.
"That stupid.. Bitch. She pushed Haylee down, making her cry. You know, it's one thing to mess with me, but messing with a three year old is taking it way over the line. And she will not leave this house today before I get a chance to have words with her." Alex replied to Mitchie, pure fire blazing in her eyes. Mitchie's own expression hardened.
"She pushed her down? Is Haylee okay?" Mitchie asked, looking ready to absolutely kill Alison. Alex nodded.
"She just had a small scratch on her arm and it caused her to break her crown, which is why I'm taking her to the store now. But Mitchie, what am I going to do about Alison?" Alex asked, sounding desperate at the end. She had run through the problem in her mind about a million times already, and she couldn't come up with a solution.
Mitchie's expression softened a bit at Alex's desperation.
"You're going to have to tell Nate, Lex." Mitchie said a minute later, sighing as she did so because she knew that was the last thing Alex wanted to hear. Alex sighed as well, ad she ran a hand back through her messy curls.
"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." Alex said, tears slowly starting to form in her eyes. She had to do what would make Nate happy, and if being with Alison made him happy, then she'd just put up with it until their relationship was over with. Mitchie looked at her sympathetically.
"Lexie, what about your happiness? And Haylee's happiness? Doesn't that matter too?" asked, and before Alex could reply, she was stopped by Haylee's small voice coming up to them. Haylee looked at Alex.
"I weady, Mommy." Haylee said to Alex, then held her arms up, signaling for Alex to pick her up. Alex forced her tears to stay away and managed a smile as she picked Haylee up into her arms and kissed her cheek. Mitchie's words continuously ran through her mind, and they just confused her even more.
"Alright, sweet girl. We'll go get my keys and go." Alex replied to Haylee, then looked back at Mitchie.
"We can finish talking later, if you want." Alex said half-heartedly, knowing after only those few seconds of thinking about Mitchie's question that the only solution to her problem was to tell Nate, and that doing that was going to be one of the hardest things she'd ever have to do.
Mitchie nodded and watched Alex carry Haylee back to her bedroom, a distressed frown on her face, then sighed and made her way back downstairs, wondering all the way down how she was going to manage all throughout dinner without killing Alison.
After walking back into her own room and grabbing her phone, purse, and keys, Alex carried Haylee downstairs. She stopped in the living room to tell her parents where she was going. Seeing a smirk on Alison's face once she saw Haylee's tear-stained one made Alex's rage grow even stronger, but she didn't want to make a scene. She'd have her words with Alison later, when no one else was around.
"Is your headache better, honey?" Mrs. Russo asked Alex with a smile. Alex nodded.
"Yeah. I'm gonna take Haylee over to the store to buy a new princess crown. She fell and broke her other one. I'll be back in a little while." Alex said to them, sending a death glare to Alison before she turned around and left.
Alex got both herself and Haylee buckled into her car, then dropped her phone into her purse before she backed out of the driveway and began driving to the closest store, Wal-Mart.
"Why she not wike me, Momma?" Haylee asked quietly from the back-seat a few minutes later. Alex glanced at her daughter's sad face in the rear-view mirror and sighed quietly. Alison being so nasty to her for no reason at all bothered Haylee more than Alex wished it would.
"Sweetheart, sometimes people are just mean. There isn't anything we can do about it, and they usually don't have a good reason for it. They're just mean. The best thing you can do is to ignore them and surround yourself with people who aren't mean to you, people who love you." Alex replied, then glanced in the mirror again and saw that Haylee had a thoughtful look on her face.
"How cwome their Mommas didn't tell them to be nwice?" Haylee asked in such an innocent voice, it made Alex smile a little bit and her heart swell with love. It made Alex get that feeling that just maybe she was doing something right as a mother.
"I don't know, baby. Maybe their Mommas did tell them, and they just didn't listen." Alex replied. The car was quiet for a minute, then Alex spoke up again.
"Haylee, just because someone is mean to you, it doesn't mean you should be mean to them too. You should always be your sweet self, even to the people who are mean to you, and maybe you'll be the one to make them realize that being mean isn't what they should be doing." Alex said to Haylee, who just simply said 'okay' in response. Alex didn't know if Haylee understood everything she'd just said or not, but she felt it was important for her to at least hear it.
Alex drove the rest of the way to the store, neither her nor Haylee saying a word, and only the sound of 'Mean' by Taylor Swift playing on the radio in the background.
Twenty minutes later, Alex was carrying Haylee, who not only had a glittery princess crown with pink jewels sprinkled across it on her head but also had a package of M&M's open and already eating some in her hand, through the front door of their house.
Alex stopped when she saw everyone sitting at the dining room table eating. Everyone but Alison smiled at them.
"Haylee, come here and let me see your new princess crown!" Mitchie said, forcing an excited smile on her face for the little girl. Alex passed Haylee over and sat her in Mitchie's lap. Haylee pointed to her crown and Mitchie grinned.
"It's even more glittery than the last one!" Mitchie said with a smile.
"It's more mwagical too!" Haylee agreed, the same excited grin covering her face that appeared when Alex had paid for the crown and put it on her head at the store. Mitchie giggled and nodded. Alex smiled at her little princess and best friend, her two very favorite people in the world.
"Are you and Haylee going to join us for lunch, Alex?" Mrs. Russo asked Alex. Alex smiled, but shook her head no.
"I don't think so. I'm not really hungry yet and I don't think Haylee is either, so I'll probably just make Haylee a special heart-shaped grilled cheese in a little while when she gets hungry." Alex replied, smiling when she saw Haylee's smile brighten from over in Mitchie's lap at the mention of Alex's special heart-shaped grilled cheese. Mrs. Russo smiled at Alex.
"Alright, well you two girls be good." she said to her with a smile. Alex smiled back at her mom, then held her hand out for Haylee to take.
"Come on, princess. Let's go back upstairs for a while." Alex said to Haylee with a smile. Haylee reached up and gave Mitchie a kiss on the cheek before she jumped down from Mitchie's lap. But, before she walked over to Alex, she stopped at Alison and put three of her M&M's on her plate. Alex smiled proudly at her kind-hearted little girl.
"I fowrgive you." little Haylee said to Alison before she walked over to Alex. Alex scooped her up into her arms and carried her to the staircase and then upstairs, ignoring the weird looks she was getting from her family, Shane, and Nate and the death glare she was receiving from Alison.
"I'm proud of you, my little princess." Alex said with a smile to Haylee, then kissed her little nose. Haylee giggled and snuggled into Alex's chest as Alex continued to carry her upstairs and into Alex's room.
Once they were in there, Alex sat Haylee down on the bed and smiled at her.
"Now, what would Princess Haylee like to do for the afternoon?" Alex asked with a grin just as her phone beeped with a text message. Alex pulled it out of her purse and looked at the screen. It was a message from Nate.
'What was Haylee forgiving Alison for?'
Alex ignored the message, along with the sinking feeling she was getting in her stomach that everything was about to get bad. She shoved her phone into her back pocket and forced a smile for Haylee, who was sitting on the bed holding one of her dolls.
After a few minutes and a few more ignored text messages, there was a knock at Alex's door. Alex, who was now flipping through a magazine, though not really reading anything, on her bed glanced over at her door. Haylee just continued to play with her doll on the bed beside Alex.
"Um, come in!" Alex called, hoping and praying inside that it was just Mitchie, or Max even. But it wasn't. Nate walked inside Alex's room and shut the door behind him. He had a small smile on his face, though his eyes held nothing but seriousness. Haylee, after seeing it was Nate, ran over to him with a big smile on her face and hugged him.
Nate hugged the excited three-year-old back, though Alex could see that he really only wanted to talk to her. Alex sighed a tiny bit as she closed her magazine and stood up.
"Haybear, why don't you go downstairs with Aunt Mitchie and Uncle Shane?" Alex asked Haylee a minute later after she pulled away from Nate. Haylee looked at Alex, worry starting to form on her face.
"Mean lady down there, Momma." Haylee said, her smile completely gone. She ran over to Alex and hugged her leg. Ignoring Nate's confused expression, Alex got down to Haylee's level and kissed her forehead.
"Baby, Aunt Mitchie will be with you the whole time, and she won't let the mean lady hurt you again." Alex said reassuringly and soothingly at the same time. Haylee studied her mommy's face for a moment before she nodded and turned and walked out of Alex's room, shutting the door back closed behind her.
Once Haylee was gone, Nate's smile completely disappeared, and he looked at Alex slightly accusingly but more confused than anything else.
"Allie, what is going on? Why are you and Mitchie treating Alison like complete crap? And who the heck is the mean lady Haylee is scared of?" Nate asked her, frustration causing his voice to be louder than he intended for it to be. Alex sighed and sat down at the end of her bed, knowing that she had to tell Nate the truth.
"Nate, I didn't want to have to tell you this, because I wanted to be able to handle it on my own. I wanted to keep you happy. But she took it way too far hurting my daughter, and her painful words to me every single day are just that; painful." Alex rambled, then trailed off. She bit her lip in an attempt to keep her tears away. She slowly glanced up at Nate and saw that his expression was even more confused than before.
"What are you talking about, Alex? WHO are you talking about?" he asked her, though he had his suspicions. Alex sighed again and looked at him, their eyes making contact.
"Alison, Nate. She calls me a slut more than once every single day, and I know it shouldn't bother me, but it does; it hurts. And today, she pushed Haylee down and made her cry. Haylee is only three years old, Nate. Who in their right mind hurts a three-year…" Alex started but was cut off by Nate.
"Wait a minute, there is no way Alison did any of that; she wouldn't have done any of those things. She isn't capable of doing any of those things." Nate cut in. Alex stared at him for a second before she raised an eyebrow and stood up, planting on hand on her hip and forcing her tears to stay away.
"Are you saying that I'm lying?" Alex asked him, shock being her main emotion. He sighed at her and looked at her, a little accusingly.
"Well, I'm not agreeing that you're telling the truth." he replied. Alex looked at him like he'd gone absolutely insane. She was beginning to get angry.
"I don't believe this. I'm your best friend Nate; you've known me since we were little, and you've only been dating this trashy skank for like not even a week! You seriously don't believe me?" Alex asked him, anger beginning to boil in her body. She saw his face go red in anger, and he stepped a bit closer to her, raising a finger and pointing it at her.
"Don't you ever call Alison a name like that again. And to answer your question, no. I don't believe you. I believe your precious daughter is lying to you too." Nate replied angrily through clenched teeth. Alex's anger grew even greater as she stood there, and she eventually slapped Nate's pointed finger out of her face.
"I don't lie. You know that, Nate! I've had so much hell throughout my life, why would I want to lie and add more hell t have to live through every day? And my daughter doesn't lie either. Honestly Nate, you're being played by that bitch downstairs that you for some unapparent reason like to cal your girlfriend. And don't you ever point your finger at me like that again. I'm not a child you're getting on to, I'm supposed to be your best friend, someone you trust and care about." Alex spat at him, her own face growing red with anger.
"How do you know Haylee's not lying to you? I mean, you and I both know who her father is. Maybe she is lying. Being a lying SOB bastard is in her blood anyways." Nate spat back at her, every word that came out of his mouth filled with hatred. Alex's eyes glazed over with rage and also with tears, having Nate, the person that was supposed to be her best friend, use her own nightmare against her. Alex marched over to her door and yanked it open, then turned to Nate.
"I want you to leave my house now and take your girlfriend with you. You are not welcome back. And you are certainly not welcome to call me your best friend anymore. My daughter is nothing like the sick son of a bitch that attacked me and created her." Alex said to him in a low, venom-filled voice. Nate just rolled his eyes disgustedly and shoved past her out the door. Alex stood in her doorway for a second before she remembered that she wasn't going to let Alison leave without getting a piece of her mind.
After taking a deep breath and willing her tears to stay away, at least until after Nate and Alison were gone, Alex sped down the stairs and directly to Alison who was standing by the front door waiting for Nate to finish saying goodbye to Alex's parents.
Alex, who was already filled from head to toe with anger, somehow got even more anger when she saw Alison, and she reached a hand up and slapped her hard. Alison's hand flew to her cheek in shock while Alex stepped closer to her.
"You can hate me all you want, and you can call me every name in the book if that's what you have to do. But, you may never again, under any circumstances, lay one finger on my daughter. If I find out that you have again, I will yank your fake blonde roots out of your head and break your plastic-surgery created nose so fast, you won't know what hit you. Got that?" Alex asked in a voice full of pure hatred. Alison merely nodded, and Alex turned and walked away, past the shocked faces of her family and Shane, and the death glare of Nate.
And by the time Alex had made it back up to her bedroom, tears were spilling like pouring raindrops out of her eyes. She barely made it to her bed before she collapsed and cried into her pillows.
She cried because Nate hadn't believed her in the first place. And, she cried because Nate, while he was supposed to be her best friend who didn't ever want her to be in pain, took the one thing that caused her the most pain in her life and used it against her to hurt her.
But, more than anything, she cried because Nate couldn't be called her best friend, or even just her friend, anymore. That in itself hurt more than could be described in words.
A/N: And, that it for this one. I know y'all probably aren't happy with the way this one ended, but I have everything planned out for Nate and Alex in the end. (: And, like I told Ally-Woods-rox at the top, you can't get a rainbow without a storm first. (: The title to this chapter, The Storm is referring to that storm, leading up to the rainbow. (: Anyways, I hope y'all liked it! And, I'm sorry for the extremely long wait. Forgive me? (:
Also, the preview that I said would be on this one, "We found out that there was another girl that Kevin attacked.", will for sure be on the next one. I thought about it and realized that it would be too soon putting it on this one. (:
Have any questions for me about the story? You think this episode was good? You think it was worse than anything you've ever read before in your entire life? You think I have pretty eyes? TELL ME. I want to know! P L E A S E R E V I E W ! ! (: (:
Andd, I love y'all. God bless! (:
- Jordan. (:
Here's a look at what's to come on the next episode…
"We found out that there was another girl that Kevin attacked."
….
"Momma, when will Nate cwome back?"
….
"I lost Nate once, and it practically killed me. But, it's so much harder this time, Mitchie. It's like it's a struggle to take each breath without him."
….
"Nate, admit it. You miss her. And you'd do anything in the world to be able to just hug her again."
….
"Why is Allie crying?"
….
"I don't need her in my life. I'm doing fine without her. She means nothing to me."