A/N: Sorry for the wait! Enjoy Chapter 4 of Paranoid :)
Caitlyn Gellar sat distractedly on her bed, her heart beating with rapid pace as Nate draped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. It was calming; just sitting there silently, listening to his slow even breaths and watching the rise and fall of his chest.
It was peaceful; their slow breaths mingling together, uniting as one in the bitingly fresh air of Caitlyn's cabin.
She could feel his thumb grazing timidly over her shoulder. It was obvious he wanted nothing more than to comfort her, yet he was still too fearful of destroying the relationship they had already built. He didn't want to lose her.
She tilted her head, letting her gaze rest upon his face. His features were unreadable as he looked down at her, but she managed to stretch a tired smile upon her lips nonetheless.
A deafening silence engulfed the couple, and Caitlyn suddenly became very self-conscious under his intense stare.
"What?" she whispered, her voice slightly strained as Nate chuckled.
"It's nothing," he replied, shaking his head. "I was just thinking about what happened earlier." He grinned suddenly, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "I always knew you were feisty, Caity, but I never thought you were violent."
Caitlyn glared at him. "You would have done the exact same thing, Nate. Besides, Tess deserved it." Her eyes flashed with anger. "I wish I'd gotten another one in before you dragged me off of her."
Nate eyed her sternly before opening his mouth to protest. "If you'd gotten another one in, those two male followers of hers would have killed you then and there." Nate spoke stonily, his arms clasping a little tighter around Caitlyn's shoulders as he said the words.
Anger bubbled like acid in his stomach.
Before Caitlyn could reply, a knock echoed through the room, making them both glance towards the doorway.
Caitlyn's eyes widened.
There, silhouetted in the shadows, stood Mitchie. Her hair lay tangled wildly around her shoulders, and her eyes were red rimmed and puffy. It was obvious she had been crying.
Shane was right beside her, clutching on tightly to her hand.
Mitchie and Caitlyn eyed each other for a long minute of tentative silence. Finally Mitchie stepped forward and Shane released her hand obediently. He flashed Caitlyn a brief smile before gesturing for Nate to follow him and leave the two girls alone to talk. Nate nodded, giving Caitlyn's hand a quick squeeze before trailing outside after Shane.
As soon as the girls were alone, Mitchie gave Caitlyn a tiny smile and moved to sit down on the bed opposite her. Suddenly her fingers became extremely interesting to her; she twisted them around and through each other, intent on what she was doing.
She was determined not to look at Caitlyn. If she did, she knew she'd burst into tears again, and that was the last thing she wanted.
Caitlyn sighed. "Mitch, I… I'm really sorry. About your dad and… About…" she trailed off momentarily, running a harried hand through her curls, "…. Not being a very good friend to you."
Mitchie's head snapped up, her eyebrows furrowed.
"I haven't been a good friend," Caitlyn continued boldly. Her voice was edged with regret. "I should have been more persistent, kept calling you… I should've realized something was wrong."
"Caitlyn… I- It wasn't you that was the bad friend. It was me," Mitchie murmured, her voice fragile and her eyes brimming with tears. "I don't want you to think it was your fault, not for a second. I shut myself away, I lied to you, I ignored you. How could you possible have known?" Mitchie's voice cracked. She sucked in a deep breath before continuing. "I'm sorry; you don't understand just how much I regret everything I did. I just…I didn't realize how much I relied on you… And Shane… To keep me… Well, to keep me sane," Mitchie finally concluded, looking relieved to make it through her apology with only a few tears trailing over her cheeks.
She finally dared a glance at Caitlyn: she seemed frozen, an ecstatic smile upon her face.
Simultaneously the two girls stood from their beds, walking towards one another before flying together in a joyful embrace. Caitlyn laughed slightly as it happened. They swayed from side to side for a few moments before they both pulled apart, gripping onto each others' forearms.
"I missed our little talks we used to have," Caitlyn admitted, unable to wipe the grin off of her face. "All our inside jokes… It hasn't been the same just with Nate, Shane and Jason: too many guys."
Mitchie grinned in agreement.
Caitlyn felt a pang of happiness move through her body at the sight of Mitchie's smile. It had been so long since she had seen her happy. Caitlyn returned the smile eagerly before they crossed the room together, collapsing next to one another on Mitchie's bed.
"How was Shane?" Caitlyn asked curiously, noting the spark that seemed to be beginning to light up Mitchie's eyes.
She was sure that Shane was the cause of it.
That boy had a way with words sometimes. "What did you two talk about?"
"Oh, we just talked about…about my... Dad," Mitchie said, struggling to force the word out. "And our- our friendship."
"Friendship?" Caitlyn repeated, her eyes twinkling mischievously. A rosy blush crept across Mitchie's cheeks. "You still like him," Caitlyn accused, but she was grinning triumphantly.
This statement quickly made Mitchie blush an even deeper shade of red. "Well… I…Um…" Mitchie stalled.
The thought of Shane still made her heart do little pitter-patters in her chest. He was so sweet, and the way he looked at her, the way he had held her so gently earlier made her ache for his embrace. "I guess I do. So how about you and Nate?" Mitchie queried, her voice turning to a teasing tone.
She was pleased at the red that spread rapidly over Caitlyn's cheeks.
"What about me and Nate?" Caitlyn asked, feigning innocence.
Mitchie smiled. "Are you guys… A couple yet?"
Caitlyn was suddenly still. "No, we're just friends."
"You didn't look like just friends when I came in," Mitchie persisted.
"Neither did you and Shane."
Mitchie and Caitlyn grinned at each other, and there was a moment of comfortable silence that followed.
"Oh, and is it true?" Mitchie questioned after a moment, continuing as Caitlyn shot her a curious look. "When Shane and I were walking over here... We heard some people talking about you... I mean, it's probably just a stupid rumour, but I want to know..." She scrutinized Caitlyn, her eyes cautious. "Did you punch Tess in the face?"
Now that she had said it out loud, it sounded ridiculous. How could a sweet little thing like Caitlyn be capable of violence?
Mitchie's thoughts twisted back to her journey over here with Shane; his silken hand had been entwined with her own, his warmth and devotion pouring through her. She could still picture Shane's features twisting into shock as they heard the words, but it quickly transformed into amusement as he declared Caitlyn's brilliance. Mitchie had been unsure and sceptical, but the triumphant and proud look that appeared across Caitlyn's face was as good as a confession.
"Caitlyn!" she gasped, nudging her in the arm. "You are so bad!" Mitchie laughed, the sound reverberated off of the walls, bouncing around the cabin and landing harmoniously against Caitlyn's ears. She couldn't help the happiness that flooded her body.
A smile tweaked at the corners of Caitlyn's lips. She had worried that it would take time to repair their shattered friendship, but those worries had been in vain. She should have known, really. Her relationship with Mitchie was strong. Yes, it was breakable, just as every true friendship was, but it was also able to heal quickly, and for that Caitlyn was thankful.
"You know, I've really missed you Mitch," Caitlyn finally said as Mitchie's laughter died down. "I'm glad you're back."
A lone and abrupt tear suddenly trickled slowly down Mitchie's cheek and Caitlyn's smile faded quickly.
Oh no.
What had she done wrong?
"Mitchie… I'm sorry, please don't cry." Caitlyn reached over and wrapped her arms around her friend, pulling her close.
"It's not you… I didn't… I'm just-" Mitchie's voice was muffled against Caitlyn's shoulder. "I.. I'm happy to be back. Caity, I missed you too."
"Here you go," Daniel declared tenderly as he handed Tess a packet of ice, which he had wrapped tightly into a towel.
"Took you long enough," Tess remarked, snatching the ice from his grip and pressing it harshly against her jaw: her jaw which was now home to a rapidly darkening bruise. It was hideous; smothering the pale ivory of her face with a gloomy purple tinge.
She grunted at the searing cold contact, her teeth gritted as she pressed it a little harder, hoping the throbbing would stop.
"How is it?" Daniel asked softly, taking a seat next to the fuming blonde on the bench.
"Oh, it's just great!" Tess spat sarcastically, rolling her eyes at her boyfriend's stupidity.
"Hey, there's not need to be rude, babe," Daniel replied, shaking his head as he did so. Tess turned to him, unmistakable fury in her eyes.
"There is every need to be rude!" Tess snapped, dark shadows appearing on her face. "You should have done something…. You should have stopped her!" Tess yanked the ice away as the cold that spread over her face became unbearable. Her entire body prickled with goose bumps.
"I did stop her, me and Eric both did!" Daniel cried instantly, his features portraying his offended emotions.
"Well, not quickly enough," Tess hissed, fingering her jaw gently, groaning as slivers of pain shot through her.
"Yes, I know," Daniel replied quietly, looking down at his shoes as if severely ashamed of himself. "I'm sorry Tess. I'll never let her hurt you again," he whispered devotedly.
"You better not," Tess shot back, not a hint of affection in her tone. "I'm going to ruin that annoying little tramp. Who the hell does she think she is?" Her shriek echoed eerily in the stark room. She threw her hands in the air, the ice pack long forgotten.
"Why don't you tell Brown?" Daniel offered for a second time.
"Tell Brown?" Tess questioned, now on her feet and spinning to face the male. "We are so past that, Daniel. Besides, I can't, I'll only get myself in trouble." Tess' voice faded out, as she became lost in her own thoughts; her evil, malicious thoughts. "He'll know I was eavesdropping on his conversation if he finds out about what happened. I mean, how else would I know about Mitchie's father?"
"You were eavesdropping on his conversation?" Daniel repeated, raising his eyebrows.
Tess scowled.
Daniel felt a chill run up his spine at the sight of his girlfriend's anger. He very tactfully changed the subject. "So what are you going to do? Whatever it is, you know I'm here for you babe, I'll help," Daniel volunteered, clearly hoping to make amends for his slip up back in the mess hall.
Tess looked down at him, her lips pressed in a hard line and her mind working over time. Her heart thumped feverishly against her chest, annoyance and frustration devouring her thoughts.
Annoyance and frustration: two emotions that Tess loathed.
Caitlyn was going to pay. That much was certain. But for once in her life Tess was unable to think of a plan, and that thought scared her more than anything.
Mitchie Torres was stretched across her bed, her eyes focused on the ceiling and her hands linked over her stomach. She had a strange expression on her face, and the position of her lips could almost have passed as a smile. She had just shaken off Caitlyn's attempts to get her to come to class. After yesterday's fiasco she wasn't sure if she could face the others campers yet. She had promised Caitlyn she would come tomorrow.
Tomorrow.
That thought made her feel sick, an empty feeling of nausea exploding in her stomach, her fears choking her throat. She shook her thoughts away, focusing on what had happened yesterday.
No, not Tess' malicious actions, but what had happened after; after her and Shane had talked, after her and Caitlyn had talked.
When she, Caitlyn, Shane, Jason and Nate had all spent the afternoon together, laughing and joking, just like it used to be. Sure, Mitchie hadn't been as jolly and expressive as she once was, but she had enjoyed herself more than she had in a long time.
She leant back and sighed, a contented smile lighting up her face.
The day had been mingled with the scent of fresh air and the zesty thrill of laughter.
She had forgotten how crazy her friends were.
Mitchie twiddled a strand of hair between her fingers, lost in thought.
Friends.
Without truly realising it, that's what she had been craving so badly for the last few months: friendship.
Her body tingled at the word.
Caitlyn. Shane. Nate. Jason.
Her friends' faces filled her mind, blown to gigantic proportions and grinning maniacally.
Today had put her whole life back into perspective.
They had chatted amiably, just like old times.
Shane had serenaded them all with his guitar, though his eyes had been focused on Mitchie the entire time.
Caitlyn had told outrageous stories that had them all in stitches on the ground, clutching their stomachs and shaking with laughter.
Nate had them all reminiscing about the 'bad boy' Shane had been a year ago, while Jason had professed his desire for someone to build him a birdhouse (At which point he glared accusingly at Shane until he apologised for not building one last year and swore endlessly that this year he would).
Mitchie had listened to Shane's music; laughed at Caitlyn's wild tales; grinned fondly at Nate's teasing. But the most astounding thing of all was that Mitchie had forgotten: for a few hours Mitchie had managed to push the overwhelming depression to the back of her mind. Not once had she thought about her father.
And for that, she couldn't be more thankful to her friends.
But could she handle the others?
No. She couldn't. Not right now, at least.
The thought made her sick to her stomach.
But tomorrow it would happen whether she was prepared or not. She knew she had to do it; the longer she waited, the harder it would become.
Mitchie jumped as she heard a knock on the cabin door, her mind being pulled, luckily, from her thoughts.
"Come in," Mitchie said half-heartedly, not bothering to raise her head.
"Hey Mitchie, Cait told me you were here."
Shane's soothing voice crashed against her ears, causing her mind to temporarily go blank. After a few moments Mitchie raised herself up by her elbows and whispered a greeting to the sensationally attractive band member, whose very appearance sent her heart into a wild gallop.
"Do you want to tell me why you aren't in Brown's lesson?" Shane questioned as he sat himself down on Caitlyn's bed. Mitchie rolled her eyes: she should have seen this coming.
"I can't face them yet," she replied quietly, dropping back against the bed.
"I can understand that."
Mitchie sucked in a breath as she heard Shane rise from the bed, feeling her own bed sink and knowing he had taken a place next to her. "Can you sing for me then?" Shane asked.
Mitchie whirled around to face him.
"No," she said almost instantly, wincing at the fierceness of her tone. "I...mean…I can't."
She grimaced, looking up at the ceiling once more.
"Yes you can. I know you can," Shane said softly, placing his hand over hers.
"I can't," Mitchie replied stubbornly, trying to ignore the tingles that were spiralling up her arm.
"You can, you just won't," Shane retorted. He moved his hand up her arm, pulling her into an upright position and turning her head in a gentle gesture to face his. "Come on, Mitchie…for me?" Shane asked tenderly, his eyes pleading with hers.
Mitchie's heart melted into butter and she suddenly felt ashamed of herself. Shane wanted her to sing. Why couldn't she do it?
"I…just…I can't, Shane," Mitchie said, almost inaudibly.
Shane winced when he noticed that her eyes were glittering with tears. He squeezed her hand tightly, pursing his lips as he thought of way to help her.
"Every time I think I'm closer to the heart, of what it means to know just who I am."
Mitchie shivered as Shane's soft, hypnotic voice entered the room, his words wrapping tightly around her heart. She felt two of his fingers find her chin, pulling her face up to look at him. He smiled softly before continuing.
"I think I've finally found a better place to start, but no one ever seems to understand."
Mitchie took a shaky breath as his eyes pierced into her soul, his voice causing uncontrollable thrills to leap through her.
Her mind whirled her back to the dock where he had first sung that song to her. They had hardly known each other back then.
"I need to try to get to where you are, could it be, you're not that far?"
The next words dangled in the air as Shane ceased from singing, urging her to continue. Mitchie looked at him, fear evident of her face.
"You can do it, I know you can," he whispered softly. He placed a sweet kiss upon her rosy cheek, gripping her hand again. Mitchie closed her eyes at the contact, taking a cleansing breath to prepare herself before she opened her mouth.
"You're the voice I hear inside my head." She cringed slightly as the words wavered unsteadily in the air. Her voice cracked but Shane only squeezed her hand tighter. With the sensation of his lips still evident upon her cheek Mitchie forced herself to continue.
"The reason that I'm singing; I need to find you, I've gotta find you. You're the missing piece I need the song inside of me; I need to find you, I gotta find you." Mitchie opened her eyes, a tiny smile tweaking at the corners of her lips.
"Been feelin' lost, can't find the words to say, spending all my time stuck in yesterday. Where you are is where I wanna be. Oh, next to you, with you next to me." She made sure to lock onto Shane's eyes as she finished the sentence, her heart beating beyond control.
A small tear spilled from her eye.
"See, told you," Shane said with a small laugh as he wiped the tear from Mitchie's cheek. "And, if it's possible, you're even better than I remember." He watched, satisfied, as a faint red blush spread across Mitchie's cheeks.
"Thanks," Mitchie replied timidly as a strange feeling began to explore her body, a feeling she had not felt so wholesomely in a long, long time.
Could it be?
Mitchie sat perfectly still for a moment, analyzing her situation. A wide grin slowly formed on her lips as she realized that the unfamiliar emotion bubbling in her veins was real. Happiness. True happiness.
She laughed along with Shane, her eyes dancing with ecstasy.
She was happy.
For the first time since her dad's death, she was truly happy.
Mitchie engulfed Shane in a hug, whispering more thanks in his ear. Shane wrapped his arms tighter around her waist and pulled her into his embrace, resting his head against her shoulder. It had been a long couple of days, but finally the sunshine seemed to be beginning to shine through the clouds. Mitchie would be fine. The storm was finally over. Soon, everything would be OK.
But that was not to be.
The storm was far from over: in fact, the storm hadn't even really begun.
Dark clouds were building in the distance, tucked behind the hill, hidden from the naked eye.
Their appearance would be sudden, unexpected.
Their effect would be deadly.
Whether Mitchie was aware of it or not, her recovery would be short lived.
Fate was about to intervene.
A/N: Guess what?!
This story got flamed!
Ha ha. Some lovely person told us that we sucked, and why didn't we write something good for a change?!!!!!
Just thought we'd share that with you :)
Hope you enjoyed this chapter??
Ooh, on a lighter note, it was Emma's (ConverseWithMyDress) birthday just recently!
So it would be extra sweet if you could review :)
Love and Hugs,
Emma and Kace
X
