I haven't forgotten about this at all. Life has as funny way of getting ahead of itself and I'm trying to catch up to it.

Mitchie found herself staring at herself. She reapplied her lip gloss one more time, fluffing her hair and straightening her blouse before slipping on her pumps. She heard a light knock on the door and saw her mother smiling at her.

"Ready?"

"Yes."

They walked down the stairs together and rode in silence. Mitchie had been thinking a lot about the drama that was happening in school. She dealt with a lot of petty shit at her private school but usually someone OD'ed or had gotten a DUI that people moved on from whatever gossip was revolved around her. But this small town was obsessed with her. Connie looked over at her daughter and felt this gloomy cloud around her, her eyebrows knitted together as she opened her mouth to ask her what was on her mind.

"Anything new in your life, dear?" Connie asked.

"Not really."

"How's school?"

"Good." Mitchie snipped.

Connie closed her mouth tightly, knowing not to poke the bear. She sighed as she looked over again and knew Mitchie was with holding something but she knew her daughter. She knew better to let her come to her and talk about it then to keep pressing her and have her lash out. Mitchie had a temper and it came with her condition. Connie always watched her daughter when she went threw these episodes.

"Have you been keep up with your medicine?"

"Yes mother."

"I'm just checking with you. You know we trust you and I know this has been a lot to handle, but if you need to talk to someone-,"

"Don't even start mother, I said I've been keeping up with the meds. I don't need you to reach out to a therapist so I can talk about how fucked up I am. I'm well aware. I've been aware for years now."

"Michelle Torres, you are not fucked up. I will not let you go in a downward spiral. I will not let the past repeat itself. I'm trying to catch it before it becomes a bigger issue. I love you and will not let my own kid go down a path. If I can stop it, I will not let anything come in the way of that." Connie said sternly, her voice cracking.

Mitchie sighed but didn't feel any remorse. She knew what happened five years ago will forever haunt her and her family. She didn't do it to make a memory of it. Mitchie felt lost and alone. Even though she's always had all the love from her parents and absolutely everything she's ever wanted.

She put on the fakest smile she can muster and reached over to hold her mother's hand, "I love you too, mom. I'm okay. I promise its not like last time and I'm keeping up with my end of our promise."

Connie smiled a teary smile and held onto her hand tighter than before.

"I'm here if you need to talk about anything and if anything happens where it gets too heavy to carry, you are not on your own. We can find someone just as good as Dr. Woo."

"I know."

Connie parked in the back and immediately got out, Mitchie sighed as she checked herself one last time before stepping out. Her shoulders felt heavier than usual. She knew she was going through one of her episodes.

But she was determined not to become numb with medicine. Mitchie was going to fight this on her own.

The grand opening went on according to how they planned it. Mitchie was proud of her parents, as her mom received offers to cater local events. Her father was booking patients left and right. Mitchie blended with the wallpaper after a couple of hours of socializing with random people. She slipped outside and walked to the little café shop and heard her heels click with every step. As soon as she walked in, her nose was filled with the smell of espresso. Something she craved.

"Hello, what can I get started for you?" The cute barista asked.

Mitchie recognized him from school and the night of the party. Her mind went back to school and it fogged her mind from remembering his name.

"Uh, do you need a few minutes?" He asked, his facial expression quickly changed to a worried look, "are you okay?"

Mitchie snapped out of it as she nodded her head, "uh yeah. Can I have a coffee drip, medium, please?"

He looked at her for a few more seconds before nodding his head and began to make her the drink.

She walked by the tables near the window and took a seat, looking outside and wait for her name to be called. She heard a few curse words and things falling to the ground as the tall giant walked out of the back room. She saw him before he saw her. Mitchie's smirk came back onto her face as she bit back a laugh when she saw how flustered he was.

"Mitchie, your medium coffee drip is ready, thank you." He said loudly.

"Thank you, uhm?" She said with a small smile, embarrassed slightly.

"Nate. The giants brother," he said nodding his head to the direction of Shane coming out of the back room holding a bunch of cups, in different sizes.

When Shane heard Mitchie's name being called out he stood frozen from embarrassment because he was sure she heard the commotion. So he went on like he didn't hear her name. Pretending she wasn't there.

"Hey giant," Mitchie said.

Shane snapped out of pretending to act busy, "oh hey Mitchie. What's up?"

He looked at her up and down. There was something that was odd about her tonight. Usually her smirk would be bright and shining, the first thing anyone would notice on her beautiful face. But this gloomy look over casted her features. It made Shane worried for the girl in front of him. Mitchie had this barrier around her and he wanted nothing more than to help her out of it. Since he was such a nice guy, he told himself after he thought of why he would want to waste his time on figuring out this girl.

Shane didn't know it but Mitchie was a wild card. Something unlike all the girls he's encountered in the past before. He sighed as she thanked Nate and gave Shane one last look before heading for the door. The sound of her heels heading for the door broke his trance he was in and raced after her.

He heard the door close behind him with a faint chime, "hey! Wait, are we still down for Thursday?"

Mitchie turned around and looked at him with a confused look,"why wouldn't we be? You trying to cancel on me already?"

Her smirk was fake. Shane gluped down the words threatening to come out.

"No. Just making sure you hadn't made much more fun plans instead of tutoring little ol' me." Shane said shyly, rubbing the back of his neck

She smiled and nodded, "don't worry. I'm still going to help you. See you Thursday. Goodnight."

She turned around before he could get any kind of sentence out. He watched her leave down the street, into her fathers office which was a few buildings down.

Shane knew something was up with Mitchie but he knew better than to butt in and ask the wrong thing. Shane was aware of Mitchie's short tolerance to bullshit. And he didn't want to ruin his chances to get to know her without actually making obvious to those around him.

But he didn't really know what he was signing himself up for.