A/N: HERE'S CHAPTER SIX. NOTHING EXCITING HAPPENS HERE. I JUST HAVE TO
WRITE THIS ONE TO GET TO THE GOOD PARTS. DON'T HATE ME. ANYWAY, REVIEWS
PLEASE AND TO MAKE UP FOR THIS BORING CHAPTER I'LL WRITE THE NEXT ONE RIGHT
AWAY. ANYWAY, ENJOY.
Mimi sat in front of her mirror, staring at her reflection, looking dazed. It was seven o'clock, an hour and a half since she left Jason's house. Her heart was beating so fast from fear that her parents would find out that she snuck out. She couldn't sleep. Her hands were trembling from either the cold or panic.
She panicked at Jason's house. She knew that but her memory came in broken fragments and right now she was trying to piece everything together.
She knew that she left in a hurry, hastily scribbling a note to Jason before she snuck out of his house, hoping that his parents wouldn't wake up and find her and demand for an explanation that she didn't have.
She wrote two words. Thank you.
Mimi sighed, remembering the vivid emotions that escaped her just a few hours ago. That was all she remembered: a lot of emotions and Jason's voice and holding his hand. It felt good to know he was there, to feel the warmth of his skin against hers.
She shook the thought away. God, don't think like that. Jason doesn't need this burden, she mentally reprimanded herself.
"Jason doesn't deserve to be burdened by my problems." She whispered to herself. A knock interrupted her and Mimi leapt out of her seat.
"Aren't you going to school?" Maureen Lockhart asked, peering from the doorway.
"I don't feel well Mom. Can you call the school?" She asked.
Maureen walked over to Mimi, pressed her hand against her daughter's forehead and frowned. "You're burning up." She said. "Go lie down."
Mimi nodded obediently, evidently exhausted. The minute she got comfortable, sleep claimed her.
She fell in and out of sleep, a nightmare haunting her mind. She heard her mom talking, the phone ringing, light footsteps everywhere, her dad's voice but she didn't have enough strength to wake up.
"I shouldn't have gone out." She mumbled groggily.
She woke up a few hours later, still exhausted but not as feverish. Paranoia crept up to her when she remembered about her stitches and bruises and she forced herself to stay awake long enough to see if her mom had changed her out of her clothes.
"Thank god," She said, letting out a sigh of relief as she sank back down on her bed, letting sleep overtake her again.
The door was pushed open and her mom came in, looking worried.
"I'm okay." Mimi managed to whisper.
"I gave you some medicine for the fever." Maureen declared. Mimi nodded, still sleepy. "Your friends called. They were worried."
Mimi looked away. "They're always worried." She mumbled not meaning to be harsh.
"Are you having problems with your friends, Mimi?" Maureen asked cautiously.
Mimi shook her head. "No."
"You've been avoiding them."
"I am not." Mimi said defensively.
"Honey you are. Whatever it is that is making you drift away from your friends you have to fix it. Belle and Chloe call a lot but you're always doing something." Maureen insisted. "I know that this isn't my business but I care about you and I don't want you to lose your friends."
"Yeah, well, it's complicated, Mom. I honestly don't think you'd understand." Mimi said bitterly.
"Try me."
"No," She shook her head. "Like you said, it's my business."
Maureen nodded, taking the hint. "Whatever makes you happy. Now, get some more rest." She said patting Mimi's foot.
Nothing will ever make me happy, she thought unhappily. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.
She laid motionless for a long time, staring at the ceiling, letting a lot of painful memories creep into her already troubled mind.
It still felt the same: the hurt both inside and out, the humiliation she felt when she had to face her aunt and uncle and Evan. He was the one who found her.
He was the one who saw everything.
Everything.
Mimi, cringed, realizing that she was sobbing again.
Dammit, don't cry! She mentally yelled at herself as she wiped the tears away angrily. The phone rang and there was a long silence until her mom came back again.
"Evan's on the phone." Maureen said.
Great. Just great.
"Okay." Mimi said softly as she turned away to reach for her phone. She waited until her mom hung up the other phone to speak.
"Hi." She said listlessly.
"Your mom says you're sick. Are you okay?" Evan asked worriedly.
"I'm fine. Is there anything you want?" Mimi asked coldly. She didn't want to be mean to him. He was her cousin, practically her brother but the thought of him made her hurt. He was a reminder of what she went through, of what made her wounded.
"I wanted to know if you were okay. We haven't spoken in a while."
"Yeah." Mimi said unenthusiastically. "I'm fine. Just peachy."
"Mimi, how are you really?"
"Evan, don't even go there. Let it go. What's done is done. Now, let me have my peace." Mimi declared, sounding more convincing that she really was.
"I can't let it go."
"Well, it isn't yours to hold on to. It's my secret. My pain and you have no right to come and remind me of it." She said angrily.
"I am sorry, you know that. And I wish I could take the pain-" Evan said trying to explain.
"I know but let it go." Mimi said, softening her voice. "Please."
"I just want you to be okay." He said softly.
Mimi nodded silently. I won't be okay, she thought bitterly.
"Did you get.get the-" Evan stumbled.
"Yeah, I got the money." She said flatly. Evan's parents have been sending her a few hundred dollars each month in the account that they gave her.
It was as if they wanted to take the pain away by giving her some comfort with money, knowing full well that they can't really heal her hurt.
They hadn't meant it as a bribe to keep quiet-that was Mimi's idea. But this money helped. It really did. It paid for her medication, for her clothes, for everything.
Hell, she might even use it to get into college.
"Meems, they don't mean it like that." He said, feeling guilty that his parents were giving her money.
"Evan, I know. It's not their fault but they blame themselves." Mimi declared.
"They're very sorry and we still think that you should tell your parents." He said hesitantly.
"No! God dammit, Evan, don't you get it?" She snapped. "I said no! That's final. It's my decision. Now you all stay out of it. I am sick and tired of hearing you say that!" She said and hung up the phone.
She grabbed the phone and left it on the table, the busy dial tone piercing her ears, bugging the hell out of her.
She fiercely threw the pillow over it, groaning with frustration. Why the hell does he have to bother her? What right did he have?
Mimi just wanted peace. Any peace that she could get and Evan wasn't helping. No one was.
Even she can't help herself.
**Two days later**
"Where were you? Are you okay?" Jason asked worriedly the minute he saw Mimi.
Mimi backed away, hugging herself nervously. "I'm fine." She said, her voice betraying her. She wasn't sick anymore but she was still weak and tired.
Her mother was getting suspicious, asking a lot of questions, making Mimi even more paranoid.
"I called your house to see if you were okay." Jason said, interrupting her thoughts.
"I must have been sleeping. I wasn't feeling well." She said matter-of- factly.
"About what happened-" Jason started to speak but she cut him off.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lost it like that. It won't happen again. I promise." She declared rapidly, wringing her hands nervously.
"Mimi-"
"Jason, please, don't. I don't want to talk about it. Ever." She said firmly and quickly walked around him to leave.
She found Belle, Chloe and the guys around the hall, all talking to each other.
"Hey, guys!" She said, trying to be as cheerful as possible.
Belle's face lit up, beaming at the sight of her best friend. "Mimi, oh my gosh! I was really worried. Mrs. Lockhart said you were really sick." Belle said as she hugged her.
"Not that sick." Mimi smiled.
"Well, that's good." Chloe interjected.
"Yeah." Mimi said, nodding absently. "Did I miss anything?" She asked.
"No, nothing special happened." Chloe replied.
"Oh."
Silence fell amongst them and Mimi began to feel edgy, sensing like they could see right through her pretenses and know the truth.
"Umm..I better go." She stumbled over her words and before anyone could protest, she darted away from them blending into the crowd of students.
"Why does she always do that?" Belle asked dejectedly.
"Something's wrong with her." Chloe whispered secretively.
Belle nodded. She could feel it, her it in her friend's voice. Something was very, very wrong and Mimi wasn't going to tell them.
"We have to find out, so that we can help her." Belle whispered to Chloe, who was now standing close to Belle and trying to keep watch of the guys.
"Is this a secret conversation or are we allowed to listen in too?" Philip piped in and both girls jumped nervously.
"Girl talk." Chloe said.
Shawn and Philip nodded. "Where's going to find Jason." Philip declared.
Belle let out a sigh of relief. "That was close." She said to Chloe who nodded in agreement.
"Why can't we tell them again?" She asked.
"Because if Mimi doesn't want 'us' to know then she sure won't want the guys knowing either." Belle explained.
"Oh, so what exactly don't we want them to know?"
"Mimi's secret." Belle said in a hushed tone.
"And what secret is that?"
"That's what we're going to find out, Chloe." Belle replied. "I don't think it's a good secret." She added cautiously.
"Maybe we shouldn't be nosing in on her business then."
Belle shook her head in protest. "Something's wrong. Maybe we can help her. Maybe that's her secret is about."
Chloe nodded, looking at the direction that Mimi fled to.
She had a bad feeling about this. She always got those feelings.
They were so going to regret this.
Mimi sat in front of her mirror, staring at her reflection, looking dazed. It was seven o'clock, an hour and a half since she left Jason's house. Her heart was beating so fast from fear that her parents would find out that she snuck out. She couldn't sleep. Her hands were trembling from either the cold or panic.
She panicked at Jason's house. She knew that but her memory came in broken fragments and right now she was trying to piece everything together.
She knew that she left in a hurry, hastily scribbling a note to Jason before she snuck out of his house, hoping that his parents wouldn't wake up and find her and demand for an explanation that she didn't have.
She wrote two words. Thank you.
Mimi sighed, remembering the vivid emotions that escaped her just a few hours ago. That was all she remembered: a lot of emotions and Jason's voice and holding his hand. It felt good to know he was there, to feel the warmth of his skin against hers.
She shook the thought away. God, don't think like that. Jason doesn't need this burden, she mentally reprimanded herself.
"Jason doesn't deserve to be burdened by my problems." She whispered to herself. A knock interrupted her and Mimi leapt out of her seat.
"Aren't you going to school?" Maureen Lockhart asked, peering from the doorway.
"I don't feel well Mom. Can you call the school?" She asked.
Maureen walked over to Mimi, pressed her hand against her daughter's forehead and frowned. "You're burning up." She said. "Go lie down."
Mimi nodded obediently, evidently exhausted. The minute she got comfortable, sleep claimed her.
She fell in and out of sleep, a nightmare haunting her mind. She heard her mom talking, the phone ringing, light footsteps everywhere, her dad's voice but she didn't have enough strength to wake up.
"I shouldn't have gone out." She mumbled groggily.
She woke up a few hours later, still exhausted but not as feverish. Paranoia crept up to her when she remembered about her stitches and bruises and she forced herself to stay awake long enough to see if her mom had changed her out of her clothes.
"Thank god," She said, letting out a sigh of relief as she sank back down on her bed, letting sleep overtake her again.
The door was pushed open and her mom came in, looking worried.
"I'm okay." Mimi managed to whisper.
"I gave you some medicine for the fever." Maureen declared. Mimi nodded, still sleepy. "Your friends called. They were worried."
Mimi looked away. "They're always worried." She mumbled not meaning to be harsh.
"Are you having problems with your friends, Mimi?" Maureen asked cautiously.
Mimi shook her head. "No."
"You've been avoiding them."
"I am not." Mimi said defensively.
"Honey you are. Whatever it is that is making you drift away from your friends you have to fix it. Belle and Chloe call a lot but you're always doing something." Maureen insisted. "I know that this isn't my business but I care about you and I don't want you to lose your friends."
"Yeah, well, it's complicated, Mom. I honestly don't think you'd understand." Mimi said bitterly.
"Try me."
"No," She shook her head. "Like you said, it's my business."
Maureen nodded, taking the hint. "Whatever makes you happy. Now, get some more rest." She said patting Mimi's foot.
Nothing will ever make me happy, she thought unhappily. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.
She laid motionless for a long time, staring at the ceiling, letting a lot of painful memories creep into her already troubled mind.
It still felt the same: the hurt both inside and out, the humiliation she felt when she had to face her aunt and uncle and Evan. He was the one who found her.
He was the one who saw everything.
Everything.
Mimi, cringed, realizing that she was sobbing again.
Dammit, don't cry! She mentally yelled at herself as she wiped the tears away angrily. The phone rang and there was a long silence until her mom came back again.
"Evan's on the phone." Maureen said.
Great. Just great.
"Okay." Mimi said softly as she turned away to reach for her phone. She waited until her mom hung up the other phone to speak.
"Hi." She said listlessly.
"Your mom says you're sick. Are you okay?" Evan asked worriedly.
"I'm fine. Is there anything you want?" Mimi asked coldly. She didn't want to be mean to him. He was her cousin, practically her brother but the thought of him made her hurt. He was a reminder of what she went through, of what made her wounded.
"I wanted to know if you were okay. We haven't spoken in a while."
"Yeah." Mimi said unenthusiastically. "I'm fine. Just peachy."
"Mimi, how are you really?"
"Evan, don't even go there. Let it go. What's done is done. Now, let me have my peace." Mimi declared, sounding more convincing that she really was.
"I can't let it go."
"Well, it isn't yours to hold on to. It's my secret. My pain and you have no right to come and remind me of it." She said angrily.
"I am sorry, you know that. And I wish I could take the pain-" Evan said trying to explain.
"I know but let it go." Mimi said, softening her voice. "Please."
"I just want you to be okay." He said softly.
Mimi nodded silently. I won't be okay, she thought bitterly.
"Did you get.get the-" Evan stumbled.
"Yeah, I got the money." She said flatly. Evan's parents have been sending her a few hundred dollars each month in the account that they gave her.
It was as if they wanted to take the pain away by giving her some comfort with money, knowing full well that they can't really heal her hurt.
They hadn't meant it as a bribe to keep quiet-that was Mimi's idea. But this money helped. It really did. It paid for her medication, for her clothes, for everything.
Hell, she might even use it to get into college.
"Meems, they don't mean it like that." He said, feeling guilty that his parents were giving her money.
"Evan, I know. It's not their fault but they blame themselves." Mimi declared.
"They're very sorry and we still think that you should tell your parents." He said hesitantly.
"No! God dammit, Evan, don't you get it?" She snapped. "I said no! That's final. It's my decision. Now you all stay out of it. I am sick and tired of hearing you say that!" She said and hung up the phone.
She grabbed the phone and left it on the table, the busy dial tone piercing her ears, bugging the hell out of her.
She fiercely threw the pillow over it, groaning with frustration. Why the hell does he have to bother her? What right did he have?
Mimi just wanted peace. Any peace that she could get and Evan wasn't helping. No one was.
Even she can't help herself.
**Two days later**
"Where were you? Are you okay?" Jason asked worriedly the minute he saw Mimi.
Mimi backed away, hugging herself nervously. "I'm fine." She said, her voice betraying her. She wasn't sick anymore but she was still weak and tired.
Her mother was getting suspicious, asking a lot of questions, making Mimi even more paranoid.
"I called your house to see if you were okay." Jason said, interrupting her thoughts.
"I must have been sleeping. I wasn't feeling well." She said matter-of- factly.
"About what happened-" Jason started to speak but she cut him off.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lost it like that. It won't happen again. I promise." She declared rapidly, wringing her hands nervously.
"Mimi-"
"Jason, please, don't. I don't want to talk about it. Ever." She said firmly and quickly walked around him to leave.
She found Belle, Chloe and the guys around the hall, all talking to each other.
"Hey, guys!" She said, trying to be as cheerful as possible.
Belle's face lit up, beaming at the sight of her best friend. "Mimi, oh my gosh! I was really worried. Mrs. Lockhart said you were really sick." Belle said as she hugged her.
"Not that sick." Mimi smiled.
"Well, that's good." Chloe interjected.
"Yeah." Mimi said, nodding absently. "Did I miss anything?" She asked.
"No, nothing special happened." Chloe replied.
"Oh."
Silence fell amongst them and Mimi began to feel edgy, sensing like they could see right through her pretenses and know the truth.
"Umm..I better go." She stumbled over her words and before anyone could protest, she darted away from them blending into the crowd of students.
"Why does she always do that?" Belle asked dejectedly.
"Something's wrong with her." Chloe whispered secretively.
Belle nodded. She could feel it, her it in her friend's voice. Something was very, very wrong and Mimi wasn't going to tell them.
"We have to find out, so that we can help her." Belle whispered to Chloe, who was now standing close to Belle and trying to keep watch of the guys.
"Is this a secret conversation or are we allowed to listen in too?" Philip piped in and both girls jumped nervously.
"Girl talk." Chloe said.
Shawn and Philip nodded. "Where's going to find Jason." Philip declared.
Belle let out a sigh of relief. "That was close." She said to Chloe who nodded in agreement.
"Why can't we tell them again?" She asked.
"Because if Mimi doesn't want 'us' to know then she sure won't want the guys knowing either." Belle explained.
"Oh, so what exactly don't we want them to know?"
"Mimi's secret." Belle said in a hushed tone.
"And what secret is that?"
"That's what we're going to find out, Chloe." Belle replied. "I don't think it's a good secret." She added cautiously.
"Maybe we shouldn't be nosing in on her business then."
Belle shook her head in protest. "Something's wrong. Maybe we can help her. Maybe that's her secret is about."
Chloe nodded, looking at the direction that Mimi fled to.
She had a bad feeling about this. She always got those feelings.
They were so going to regret this.
