Chapter 14

I heard excited whispers behind me. Well, I guess I should have realised that that would happen since Shane Gray was at the front of my school greeting me, the girl who everyone knows is dating him.

"So, not to be rude, but why are you here?" I questioned.

"Can I not visit my girlfriend on her birthday?"

"Of course you can, you can see me anytime, but why not just wait till tomorrow?"

"Now you've gotten to the good part. I convinced the guys at the label to give us both the weekend off from recording. So I'll be here with you for the whole of this weekend."

"Really?" I squealed, "That's awesome." I remembered that Sierra was still there, "this is my best friend, Sierra." I pulled sierra forward. "Sierra, this is the guy you've heard me talk about constantly, my boyfriend, Shane."

"Hi," Sierra said shyly.

"Hey, you don't mind if I steal Mitchie from you, do you?"

"No, not at all. I was wondering when I was going to get rid of her actually." She joked. They both laughed and I glared at her. They stopped immediately.

"Sorry, I was just joking."

"Anyway, how did you get the executives to agree to giving us a break, I've only recorded four tracks."

"They're still scared I'll go back to bad Shane on them, so why not use it to my advantage. I told them I needed inspiration, and they saw what a good influence you are on me. And they always let people have their birthdays off."

"And you didn't tell me this because…?"

"It was a surprise, obviously. There's quite a crowd developing."

"Is there? They must've realised that my kissing someone meant that Shane Gray was here."

"So they all read the article then?"

"Either that or they watched Hot Tunes. Did you drive all the way here?"

"Yeah, what's the point in having an insanely expensive car sitting in a parking lot in New York? I have to take her out once in a while."

"We should go before people start hassling us."

"Yeah, you want a ride Sierra?"

"No, I'll walk, you know, give you two some alone time." She said not-so subtly.

"Bye Si."

"See you later." Sierra walked away. I couldn't help but feel like our friendship was becoming slightly strained. I got into the passenger seat of Shane's car. I was amazed that we were spending so much time together. A few weeks earlier I was scared that I wouldn't see him for months. Yet here we were: the third weekend of seeing each other, in a row. He pulled up outside my house. I put my key in the door and went inside. My mom was in the kitchen as usual, or so I guessed by the great smell coming from that direction.

"Hey mom."

"Hey sweetie, you're home early." She said looking at the clock but not bothering to turn around.

"Yeah, someone decided to surprise me and pick me up." Mom finally turned around and realised that Shane was with me.

"Hi Shane, what are you doing here?"

"Another person that's thrilled to see me obviously," he said sarcastically. "I got the executives at the recording company to give Mitchie and me the weekend off. So I came to surprise her for her birthday." He informed her.

"That's really nice of you. Where are you staying?"

"At some hotel in town."

"There's no point in coming here just to stay so far away, stay here."

"I couldn't, I wouldn't want to intrude or put you out of your way." He said being a real gentleman. Why did he have to argue? I knew that mom would get him to stay some way though.

"Oh, it's no problem; we would love to have you here."

"If you're sure that it isn't any bother for you."

"None at all, I'll go sort out the guest room." Score! She left the room.

"I'll go get my stuff." He said, standing up.

"Don't go now." I said pleadingly; I didn't want him to go so soon.

"I'm not, my stuff's still in the trunk of my car, I haven't checked in yet." He left the room. Shortly after, my mom came back.

"Where'd he go? I didn't scare him away did I?"

"No, he just went to get his stuff."

"Oh right, I panicked for a second there. I do not want to ruin your relationship."

"You could never ruin it. If someone's going to ruin it, it'll be me. Why would you scare him off? You've been with us at those weekends; he should be used to you by now. If he's going to get scared away by someone, it'll be dad."

"Your dad doesn't scare me. He's just very protective of his daughter. You're probably still his little girl in his eyes." Shane said entering the kitchen wheeling a suitcase behind him, stopping my mom from saying anything.

"How do you know so much about it?" He had genuinely surprised me with his knowledge about the matter.

"I just put myself in his shoes. You're his only child, so of course he's going to be scared that as soon as you show any signs of independence, you won't need him anymore. To top it all off, you're dating a rock star," I made to protest but changed my mind, realising that this wasn't the appropriate time, "who is famed for his mood swings. So that's three bad things in one."

"But you don't have them anymore." I protested.

"That doesn't matter to your dad; I'll forever be the bad guy that stole his daughter from him."

"Wow, I never knew you were that smart, you seriously sounded like a shrink there."

"You're so funny." He said sarcastically.

"He's right Mitchie. You're father has said some stuff to me along those lines."

"Really? I just thought that he was being over-protective."

My dad came home a few hours later.

"Why's he here?" He asked when he walked into the kitchen.

"He's here to see me obviously; did you think he was here to see you or something?" I retorted.

"Don't take that tone with me young lady." He said sternly.

"Sorry daddy."

"I thought that I'd come and see your daughter on her birthday sir."

"But you were going to see her tomorrow anyway." Hmm, no 'Call me Steve' in there, he must be angry.

"The recording company gave us the weekend off sir."

"He's staying here Steve."

"I was going to stay in a hotel, but your wife convinced me otherwise. I'll go to the hotel if you would prefer that sir." Shane explained after dad shot mom a questioning look. Shane was really making dad feel in control of the situation, he knew exactly what he was doing. I never would have thought that Shane could be so mature.

"It's alright, and I thought I told you to call me Steve." I knew that it was alright after dad was back to 'Call me Steve'.

My parents gave me some presents; I knew that it wasn't going to be that many due to money being tight. They got me a new program for recording music on my laptop, which I knew was pretty expensive because I'd been looking at it myself. They also got me a few other things, including a new notepad. I hadn't gotten anything from Shane at the same time as my parents, but he said that he wanted to go for a walk with me. He went upstairs to get something so I waited by the door. He came downstairs and I spotted an oblong shape in the pocket of his hoodie. I opened the door and waited for him to walk out before closing the door behind him, the air was fresh on account of the fact that it had rained that day. He grabbed my hand and we walked in silence to a park nearby. We sat down on a bench and Shane pulled the thing out of his pocket. It was a jewellery box.

"Happy Birthday Mitch." He said before thrusting the box forward for me to take. I unsurely took it and opened it. Inside the box was a necklace with the letter 'S' as the charm on a silver chain.

"It's real silver," I opened my mouth to say that I couldn't accept something so expensive, but he beat me to it. "And before you say anything, I don't care that it's expensive, you're my girlfriend, which means I basically have the right to treat you, and it's your birthday."

"Thank you, it's gorgeous." Which it was, it may have been simple, but the reasoning behind it made it even better.

"Turn around." I turned and he put the necklace around my neck. I turned back, kissed him and then gave him a huge hug.

"Do you really like it?" he asked unsurely.

"Of course I do, I love it. I won't take it off." I beamed at him.

"That's good, I was afraid you wouldn't."

"Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know; I just was."

"Well I do like it, it isn't too showy - my favourite type of jewellery - and it's your initial, which means that I'm yours. And you know what I like the most?"

"No, what do you like the most about it?"

"You gave it to me. If you'd have given me something that cost a dollar, I would still have loved it. And you know what else?" I had finally realised something. Something Shane had been waiting for me to realise for weeks.

"What Mitchie?" He asked with a smile.

"I love you." I said quietly. I was unsure of saying it ad it was the first time I'd said it to someone who wasn't family.

"Really?"

"Yes, I do." Shane placed his index finger under my chin and pulled my face to his. He kissed me softly. He pulled away and sighed contentedly.

"I love you too Mitch."

"I think that we should go back before it gets too dark." The sky was already quite dark and the sun had set.

"Wait, don't you want to look at the stars?"

"Ok, but we don't have a blanket." I liked the notion, but I wasn't about to get wet.

"You can lie on my jacket." He put his leather jacket on the ground.

"What'll you lie on?"

"Don't worry about me; if I get wet, I get wet. Let me be a gentleman."

"Alright," I lay on his jacket and he lay down on the ground next to me. The sky was clear and dotted with millions of stars.

"It really makes you fell small, doesn't it?"

"Certainly does. Hey, do you want to play twenty questions?" I asked.

"Okay, me first. Who's your favourite band?"

"I should really say Connect 3, but you already know that so I'm going to say Paramore; ok, my go: what are you scared of?"

"Losing you."

"I didn't mean like that I meant like an animal or heights or something."

"Spiders, I can't stand them. What's your favourite colour?"

"Red, what's yours?"

"Either turquoise or blood red. I know all the magazines say that I like green, but I don't."

"Aw man, I could've been spared the humiliation of wearing that green short outfit at pyjama jam."

"You were trying to get my attention that early?"

"No, it was Tess, and that counts as a question."

"No it doesn't."

"It does, which means it's my turn again. What was that song you were writing last weekend?"

"Uh, it's called Lovebug."

"What's it about?"

"Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, it's my turn. How many songs for your album do you have?"

"I think I have eleven."

"Wow, you're basically done."

"Actually, I have two more in the making, and then I'm done. What's Lovebug about?"

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to tell you about it till later, but oh well. I thought I was in love before with a girl called Lindsay and she thought she was in love with me. But then I found out that she was two-timing me, so I broke up with her. I thought that I'd never love anyone after her, but I love you now. That's what Lovebug is about. Have you dreamt about me recently?" I blushed.

"Yeah, last night in fact. Have you ever dreamt about me?"

"Yeah, tonnes of times. What was last night's dream about?"

"Uh well, we were getting married. I keep saying all this stuff about us going too fast, and yet it's me that start it most of the time. You know what? Fuck it; just ignore what I said last week completely. What was your most recent dream of me about?"

"I was lying next to you, watching you sleeping in my bed on the tour bus. Do you think that means anything?"

"Maybe, we'll just have to wait and see. That counts as a question again."

We didn't get back till eleven. My dad was seriously pissed but decided to let it pass because it was my birthday. I put on the new pyjama set I had gotten out of Victoria's Secret a few days ago. I had realised that I needed a lot of new underwear if I was going to be dating Shane, in case things went further than we expected them to. I also bought new pyjamas after that episode two weekends before and I needed some new ones anyway. They weren't anything special, but I didn't feel so self-conscious about them.

I found myself still awake at two thirty. I don't know why, I just couldn't sleep, but I did feel like there was something was missing. I got out of bed, didn't bother to put on a robe and left my bedroom. It was like my body was working on its own. I walked down the corridor. I knew exactly where I was headed. What the hell was I thinking? It just wasn't me. I knocked on the door before going in. Why didn't I go back to bed?

"Shane, are you awake?" I asked into the pitch black.

"Hmmm, what's up?" He said drowsily.

"I'm just being silly; I should have just left you to sleep instead of bothering you with my sleeping problems"

"I wasn't asleep yet, can you not sleep?" He turned on the bedside light.

"No, I have no idea why though."

"I can't sleep either."

"You sure it wasn't that you just had too much coffee?"

"No, coffee doesn't affect my sleeping pattern. Come here." He patted the bed next to him. His bed did look rather inviting and he did look seriously hot during the early hours of the morning. I walked over to the opposite side of him, he pulled the duvet back and I got in. I lay there awkwardly until Shane spoke.

"You know you can touch me. I'm not going to ravish you."

"Sorry, it's just a bit strange for me."

"I know." I was hit by a sudden shot of confidence. I moved over a bit.

"Is this better?"

"A bit closer." I moved again. I could feel the heat radiating from his body. "That's better." He wrapped his arm around my waist and kissed my forehead. I then realised that he was topless. I wasn't going to do anything, but it was so overwhelming, so I buried my head in his chest, to try and stop myself from being so put off by it. I breathed in and sighed a content sigh.

"Come to any conclusions?" He asked.

"About what?"

"About your sleeping."

"I think it's something to do with you. Like not being able to sleep when I'm not with you when we're in the same building, maybe. I've never experienced it before, so I have no clue."

"That's a good theory. Does that mean we're sleeping in the same bed now?"

"Do you want to?"

"I guess, but if you don't we won't."

"It's not like my parents will find out, and that's my only fear. So bring it on." He chuckled.

"Ok, starting tomorrow?"

"Bad idea, it's very risky with my parents in the same house. I'll just have to go to bed without sleeping." I was glad I'd been to Victoria's Secret now.

"Next weekend then. You better get some sleep now if you won't get any tomorrow, and I want a happy Mitchie in the morning, not a grumpy one." I tangled my legs with his, closed my eyes and instantly fell asleep.

AN: Here's the deal, dear readers: I have chapter 16 written up! I know, all new material finally, for the first time since December. So I'm going to post 15 tonight, and then 16 on Monday because I want to get the new stuff up. R&R