Hey guys! Thanx for those reviews, I seriously love reading them, they're so sweet. =)
There's little bits of Niley in this one, if you can catch them and tons of Smitchie. I really think you'll like who Shane's becoming, someone Mitchie's proud of.
Enjoy!
Lunch rolled around faster than I expected. Ambivalently, I opened the doors just getting myself bottled water, and with uneasy eyes, prowled the cafeteria. Shane and Nate were sitting at Shane and my table in the far back away from everyone else. Sure, he wasn't smiling, but he didn't look angry or sad just waiting for me.
Miley and Alex were in line getting their food, so I strolled towards the boys with a huge smile that wobbled when I saw Taylor. She smirked at me and that alone smash violent thoughts into my head. I peered back at Shane that had his brows raised questionably at me as I stood practically in the center of the cafeteria frozen.
"Hey, what's going on, Mitch?" An unrecognizable voice purred into my ear. I whirled around finding one of Justin's friends, Jake Ryan smirking down at me. Whoa, his crystal blue eyes beautifully twisted with green as they cordially stared at me.
I had never been good at flirting with guys. Like I've mentioned, I have had never had a real boyfriend in my 16 years except for this one kid in 1st grade that I can't even remember the name of. The point to my rambling was I was clueless when it came to hot guys.
"Back off, Ryan, she isn't interested." Alex barked suddenly appearing with Miley beside me. I could see Taylor, Nate, and Shane watching us. Jake roved his eyes back to me, still grinning.
"I believe that's her choice."
My cheeks rolled with warm blood. All eyes abruptly fell over to me as I fiddled with my bracelet. "Um, maybe we can talk later, Jake, um thanks."
His somewhat sinister smile expanded. "Oh definitely, see ya later." With that Jake returned to the 'danger zone' with the laughing Justin, Jacob, Oliver, and the very hot senior Troy.
Alex snapped her head to me with frantic, wide brown eyes. "Ok, Shane and Nate is one thing but the rest of the 'popular' morons are off limits. I don't care how hot they are – besides Troy – stay away from them, Mitchie!" She warned snatching my hand and with some unwillingness tugged me over to Shane and Nate's table.
"Hey guys." I mumbled awkwardly and took the vacant seat beside Shane. He shrugged off whatever stole his happiness from earlier and smiled at me. Back then, I wasn't smart enough to see it was jealousy eating at him.
"Hey yourself, Torres." Shane smirked, snaking his arm around the back of my chair. Alex watched in moderate disgust as I laughed and took a sip of my water. It was time to 'cleanse' the atmosphere.
"Shane," I whispered leaning a bit closer into him. He didn't mind. "I think it's time for the apology."
His lips pursed. "Now?!" Shane shrieked almost making me jump back in laughter how high his voice crescendoed. Giggling, I nodded. He sighed with a few peeks at Alex that pretended not to be watching us while digging in to her salad.
"I don't think I'm ready, Mitch, at least not in front of Nate. He has no idea."
I twined my fingers into his with a comforting smile, not even having to say anything and Shane nodded, sighing in defeat. "Uh, Alex?"
She looked up with curiosity spiking her eyes. She glanced at me before setting down her spoon and confidently demanded. "Yes?"
"I um know this is kinda sudden and I should have done it a long time ago, but I wanted to apologize." Shane uncomfortably announced taking glimpses at me to check if he was doing ok. I proudly nodded.
Alex didn't say anything, so I leaned in again. "About?" Shane cleared his throat looking at Nate who was, with Miley, watching the conversation and stopped eating. I could tell this was making Shane uncomfortable, so I squeezed his hand in reassurance, tracing little shapes as he spoke.
"I'm sorry about taking advantage of you at Justin's party when you were hurt." Both our eyes traveled to Nate who suddenly looked accusatory and furious. Miley gripped his shoulder, which he shrugged off and tossed daggers at Shane.
"What the hell are you talking about? What did you do, Shane?!" Nate demanded making me flinch. Under the table, on his lap, Shane and I squeezed each other's hands in unison. I prayed it would be ok. Nate was always a forgiving person, he could forgive his brother.
Instantly without a response, Nate's features scrunched up in disgust and disappointment. "You slept with Alex?!" A few eyes shifted to our table, some gasping in shock and others gossiping at who was sitting here. I was sure some people saw how close Shane and I were sitting and maybe even saw our hands, but I never let go, like I promised myself. He needed me.
Alex hastily glared down at her feet in shame while Miley was swirling her spoon silently. Shane didn't say anything, just rubbed my hand that strangely shot tingles up my arm as he did that. Did that always happen when he touched me?
"Unbelievable." Nate grumbled standing up and storming out of the cafeteria leaving with nothing but a door slam. I caught Shane look away, disappointed and upset with himself. I wanted so bad to give him a hug right now.
"I forgive you." Alex whispered causing us to turn our heads to her. Shane gratefully gave a small smile but he looked at me and through the smile I could see he wanted to get the hell away from here. I nodded once before we both stood up walking out of the cafeteria and forgot we were holding hands.
"I'm so immensely proud of you, Shane!" I cried a little dramatically and he laughed. Did I mention how good it felt when I made him laugh?
"At least some good came out of that, besides my brother hating me more than he already did." Shane mumbled, both of us pacing through the halls in a search for Nate.
I shook my head. "He never hated you Shane and he never will. He's just upset you freaking slept with his best friend and of course kept it a secret from him for all these months, all of us did."
He frowned at that. "Then maybe you should go back. I don't want him yelling at you too." Shane offered stopping our walk. I smiled at his worry and even felt a small knot in my stomach that I didn't recognize when he smiled back.
"It's ok. I want to be there for you." I promised still beaming. Shane gaped at me for a few seconds before I was attacked in a bear hug that practically trampled me to the ground. The hallway was colored with my laugh.
Shane pulled me up straight, but didn't let me out of his tight grasp, resting his chin on my head as I stupidly giggled. It made me pause to think. Shane wasn't flirting with me right? Best friends did this kind of stuff all the time. Besides he hadn't even brought up the whole sex thing in a long time.
I bit my lip, about to ask him if he still wanted my virginity when we both saw Nate sitting on a bench flinging rocks against the walks of the janitor's shed. We jogged over to him and I bent down, resting my hand on his knee. "Are you ok, Nate?"
He laughed bitterly in reply. "Oh yeah I'm fucking fantastic."
I guess this was the side of Nate the girls were talking about. It was so hard seeing him upset when Nate use to always be the sarcastic, but funny one. I hated seeing my boys so fallen apart.
Shane sighed, kneeling down on his other side but didn't touch him. I took that as a sign and removed my hand. "Look, I know I shouldn't have kept this from-"
Nate interrupted shaking his head. "No I'm not mad at you. I expect such shallowness from you, but Alex? Why would she do that?!"
On reflex, my jaw clenched after Nate's first words when Shane sadly looked away to grass beside us. I did not like seeing him so sad, in fact, I sorta wanted to slap Nate right then, but controlled myself.
I reached over to take Shane's hand, not caring if Nate saw, and gave him a 'look' only he could read. Nate gave another dry laugh. "Yeah, then there's you two! What's going on?"
Why does every one assume there is "something going on"?! First Taylor, now Nate! I watched Shane look back at his brother with once again blurry emotions to me. "We're friends again, I told you that this morning!"
"It seems a bit more than that." Nate commented with a smirk at his brother. My heart strangely stumbled and cheeks flushed, biting my lip, and hid behind my curly hair.
I didn't bother to check Shane's reaction which was probably just amused like it was a joke to think of me that way. "Whatever. Now stop changing the subject. You need to forgive Alex."
I didn't know why, but the way he mumbled "whatever" actually bothered me. Nate scoffed halting my speeding thoughts and stood up. "I'll do what I want, I learned from the best, bro." Nate coolly replied and took off away from us, definitely leaving me stunned.
~2 Weeks Later~
~Late October~
14 Days.
It had been exactly 14 days since Nate last spoke with the 4 of us. Frequently, he just ditched school completely and not a soul knew where he went as he did. Shane was constantly freaking out where his brother could be and what he was doing, we even went with Jason 3 days ago that Monday to search for him during lunch, but never found him.
On a positive note, as the days passed, Shane and I grew closer. We were practically joint at the hip by now. The whole school was still buzzing with rumors about us, but I was use to it. It felt like Hollywood or something.
Slowly, but surely, I could feel Shane also rebuilding his friendship with Miley but not with Alex. Shane explained to my yesterday as we did our homework in his bedroom, that Miley was like a little sister to him and they were always closer than anyone else. I thought it was sweet.
Alex on the other hand, didn't seem to wanna come around. Even as we started sitting together at lunch, she still refused to talk, let alone look, at Shane. It tore me apart to see him so sad and guilty as she ignored him. He was trying so hard to fix things and I was happily at his side. Miley told me just the other day; he was doing this only because of me, because I was so special to him. That emphatically made me feel amazing, and even get this weird warm feeling oozing around my heart. But I ignored it.
Currently I was lying in Shane's comfortable bed as he dug through his closet for something that he refused to tell what it was. He gave up on the left side and paused turning to smirk at me. "You spend more time in my bed than I do, Mitch."
"It's very comfortable, thanks." I smirked back. He shook his head grinning and turned back to his mad search. I continued my phone conversation with Miley as he looked.
Just talked 2 him. He refuses to see Alex. This is crazy.
-Miles
I kno. She called me last night crying saying she missed him and felt horrible. What r we gonna do?
-Mitch
"YES!" Shane shouted turning around with a CD in his hand and giggling like a little kid with a shiny new toy. Amused, I shook my head watching him run to his stereo and put the CD in, but not letting it play yet.
"Just guess what song I have on here!"
I playfully rolled my eyes. "Shakira?"
Shane narrowed his eyes making me burst into laughter. I climbed off his bed, walking beside him at the stereo as he pressed play with hilarious excitement absorbing his eyes. The familiar opening notes of the guitar flowed through Shane's bedroom and I smiled. Just a few months ago, I despised this song and shut it off when it came on in Dallas' car. It was our song.
Some people laugh, some people cry
Some people live, some people die
Some people run, right into the fire
Some people hide their every desire
But we are the lovers
If you don't believe me
Then just look into my eyes
'cause the heart never lies
Some people fight, some people fall
Others pretend they don't care at all
Shane smiled leaning into my ear, sliding his hands to hold my waist and began swaying us and I laughed at how cliché this was, as he sang the next words in my ear. "If you wanna fight, I'll stand right beside you. The day that you fall I'll be right behind you."
To pick up the pieces
If you don't believe me
Just look into my eyes
'cause the heart never lies
Woah
Woah
Another year over, and we're still together
It's not always easy, but I'm here forever
We are the lovers
I know you believe me
When you look into my eyes
'cause the heart never lies
Hey
And we are the lovers
I know you believe me
When you look into my eyes
'cause the heart never lies
Oh-oh-woah
Woah
Another year over, and we're still together
It's not always easy, but I'm here forever
Yeah we are the lovers, I know you believe me
When you look into my eyes
'cause the heart never lies
'cause the heart never lies
Because the heart never lies
"Wow, I refused to listen to that song for years, and it's one of my favorites." I gazed up at Shane, wondering what he could be hiding in his eyes like he had that day with Nate.
Shane chuckled, twirling a lock of my brown curl around his finger. "I knew you loved that song, we both did, so I had to find it."
"Yeah you just had to, right?"
"Yep, or I would like die, seriously."
The door swung open revealing Denise that had taken a week's vacation to spend Halloween with her family. She never wanted to miss the boys holidays, "Mitchie, your mom just called and said she wants you home, I'll drive you."
I nodded and she walked off to get her keys. Turning back to Shane, he lifted me up for a hug like I was a doll. "Bye Mitch."
"Later Shanie-kins" He pretty much dropped me, scowling and I laughed making a run to his mother's car before he killed me. Shane hated when I called him that, which made it so much fun to do it. But unfortunately he would get his revenge on me tomorrow.
I pulled out my phone on the drive to my house, picking up on the conversation about Nate. He really had me worried.
IDK but the dance is coming up soon, maybe we can get Justin 2 ask her.
-Miles
Ugh, the school dance. Don't get me wrong, I'm all up for a fun night with my friends, but remember Lillie's party? I. Can't. Dance. So that night should be a beautiful disaster. It was in November just a little bit before the big, winter Prom in December that I was really excited for.
That would b awesome but he wouldn't do that. R u going w/ any 1?
-Mitch
Denise stopped in my driveway. I thanked her and went inside, quickly changing into my comfortable pajamas until Miley texted back later than I expected.
We'll make him lol. No I haven't been asked yet, but I heard a lot of guys want to go w/ u. What about u and Shane?
-Miles
Once again my heart was having a hard time beating properly when someone brought up Shane and me in the conversation. It didn't matter though, he was probably going with Taylor – that really hated me by the way – and it's not like I wanted to go with him as my date anyway.
My phone vibrated again, but as I read it my stomach plunged.
Hey, r u going with anyone 2 the dance?
More Drama is coming! ;)
Questions:
How do you feel about Nate and his reaction?
Who should go with whom to the dance?
Who texted Mitchie?