AN: I couldn't continue my other stories without getting this one-shot out of my system. Demi's "Here We Go Again" was my inspiration and you should listen to it if you can when the song comes up. Enjoy :)
Mitchie knocked on Lilly's bedroom door repeatedly. After the fifth consecutive knock Lilly finally swung the door open. "Mitch, do you realize how early-"
Mitchie sighed dramatically, effectively cutting off Lilly's sentence. She brushed past Lilly and belly flopped on to the bed.
Lilly looked out into the hallway. "Oh great. You and Alex fought. Again." Lilly shut the door and turned around.
She sat down on the bed beside her best friend. "What's going on?"
A muffled reply caused Lilly to shake her head. "Mitchie, you know my rules. If you are going to be a Debbie Downer you at least have to tell me what's going on. Clearly and not muffled into my bed sheets!"
Mitchie lifted her head and pouted. "Fine." She sat up and began telling Lilly what happened.
Alex strode confidently into the music store looking for her girlfriend of a year. Guitars, pianos, saxophones, violins, and many more instruments lined the walls. Alex spotted Mitchie tuning a guitar and softly humming.
Alex snuck up on Mitchie and wrapped her arms around her. Mitchie squeaked. "Jesus, Alex. You scared the crap out of me."
"Sorry." Alex kissed Mitchie's cheek. "Does that make up for it?"
"No." Mitchie shrugged Alex off of her. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to visit my girlfriend at work. Is that a crime?"
"Yes. If I get caught socializing with you I'm going to get fired."
Mitchie walked past Alex and stood behind the counter. Alex followed her and flashed her trademark smirk. She played with the plastic square that said "Mitchie" in curvy writing. "Rockin' the nametag, huh? I kind of like it."
Mitchie smiled but the smile fell quickly when she saw her boss approaching from the corner of her eye. "Alex can you please get out of here? I'll meet you at your house when I get off."
Alex looked at her, slightly annoyed that she was being pushed away. "You know I was trying to be nice here. I thought trying to keep you company in this pathetic excuse of a music store would have made you happy."
"Yeah, well, it didn't. So leave because you're starting to piss me off."
Alex softened. "Mitch why don't you just quit? I don't get to see you anymore and you don't need this job anyway. I always pay for you for everything anyway."
Mitchie could feel anger rising in her. She started whispering in an angered manner. "It's not about the money! That's what you don't get! This place means a lot to me and all you do is put it down. Just leave, okay? I don't even want to deal with you right now."
Alex crossed her arms. "Whatever."
"You know what, Alex? I'm not coming over after. And don't text me or call me."
At that moment Mitchie's boss approached and Mitchie was forced to fake a smile. "Hi Mr. Michaels. Tony called today to schedule an appointment…"
"And then Alex just left! She just left! Can you believe her?"
Lilly rolled her eyes when Mitchie finished her story. "You two get in the dumbest fights. You break up and make up all the time."
"What?! No we don't."
"Yes, you do."
Mitchie shook her head. "No."
Lilly sighed, growing tired of the normal routine of Mitchie and Alex's relationship. "Yeah you do. You break up with Alex after a stupid fight and then she charms her way into your life again. It's a never-ending vicious cycle."
Mitchie squirmed as she started thinking about all the times they broke up. "But today's different, Lilly. I broke up with her last night. For good." Fresh tears sprung to Mitchie's eyes and Lilly couldn't help but feel for her best friend.
Lilly wrapped her arms around the crying brunette. "Tell me about it."
Mitchie looked up at Lilly. She knew the blonde got annoyed with her stories about Alex but knew Lilly would always be there for her anyway. "Are you sure?"
"Of course, Mitch. I'm here for you. You know that. Now tell me."
Mitchie sat on her bed, tears rolling down her cheeks. She had grabbed a box and wrote ALEX'S STUFF in permanent black marker around the side of it.
Reluctantly, she stood up and her eyes searched around the room for things that reminded her of Alex or just belonged to her. She picked up three pictures frames, each including a photo of the two of them.
The first was of the two of them at the beach, proudly standing in front of a massive sand castle that they had made. Mitchie smiled. So what if they were sixteen and still building sand castles? It had been a great day. She placed the frame in the box.
The second was of them onstage at Mitchie's first performance. It was just a small coffee shop that had hometown bands play on Friday nights but it still meant a lot to Mitchie. Alex had been her drummer that night. Lilly must have taken the picture. She placed the frame in the box.
The final picture was the most recent. It was of Mitchie and Alex kissing on Mitchie's seventeenth birthday. Mitchie's heart broke a little more after reminiscing over the picture. She remembered that literally two seconds after it was taken, Alex had rubbed cake all over Mitchie's face. The memory cause fresh tears to slip from her eyes. She placed the frame in the box.
"This sucks." Mitchie mumbled to herself. Mitchie jumped when she heard a beeping noise but calmed down when she realized it was only her phone. She checked it and read 5 new messages. She had ignored all of the previous texts from Alex. She thought about turning off her phone but couldn't help herself.
6:23 PM: Mitchie, I'm sorry. Call me?
6:45 PM: IDK if you got my last text or not so I figured I'd text you again…Please call me. I'm sorry.
7:15 PM: Baby if you don't answer me I'm going to have to come by. I can't just sit here knowing you're mad at me.
7:45 PM: I'm going to be better, Mitch. I promise. I just need you to give me a chance.
8:09PM: I'll be over in ten…
Mitchie looked over at the clock. 8:15. She had five minutes to collect herself before Alex would be over. Her slow pace of gathering Alex's things turned frantic. She picked up all of Alex's clothes: her shirts, her sweatshirts, a pair of jeans, sunglasses and three of Alex's pajama bottoms. The girl constantly left stuff behind. "She's so forgetful." Mitchie mumbled to herself.
With all of the clothes in the box, Mitchie moved on to things Alex had given her. A lame stuffed animal Alex had brought over when Mitchie was sick; a silver necklace she had given her for her birthday; and last but not least, the signed photo of Carrie Underwood that Alex had waited six hours in line to get for her. Mitchie loved it, it was one of her most valued possessions. But she knew if she kept it she would think of Alex every time she looked at it.
Lilly's mouth dropped open and her eyes bulged a little bit. "You gave her back your Carrie Underwood photo? You almost murdered me when I even looked at it a little too long! You are serious about this break up, aren't you?"
Mitchie just stared. "I guess, Lils. It's really hard."
"Well, what happened when Alex got there?"
Mitchie heard a soft knock on her door. She took a deep breath and checked her make-up in the mirror. "I can do this." She whispered to herself. "Come in."
Alex came into the room, as cool as can be. "Mitchie." She tried hugging the other girl but Mitchie moved away.
Mitchie feared that if she looked at Alex or even spoke to much to her that she would lose her nerve. She merely nodded her head in the direction of the box. Alex looked confused for a moment so she went over to the box and looked at its contents.
"Why are you giving me this stuff back?"
Mitchie shrugged.
"Mitch?" Alex's tone noticeably changed and it suprised Mitchie. She looked up into Alex's eyes against her better judgment. Alex looked distraught. It was a look Mitchie had never seen before. Normally when they broke up, Alex would just throw around a compliment and say sarcastic things until the problem was forgotten. Now she looked genuinely upset.
"I'm sorry, Mitchie. Whatever reason you have for being upset...I'm sorry."
Mitchie could feel herself wanting to give in. Alex never apologized. Never. Mitchie tried to stay strong.
"I think we should break up, Alex. For real this time. I'm sick of the ups and downs."
"But…What?...No. I don't accept that. I'm not taking this stuff away."
"You have to, Alex. Let's not make this messy. Just take it and go, okay?"
"We've been together for over a year, Mitch. You can't just end it this quickly. I love you." Alex's voice was cracking slightly and Mitchie didn't know what to do with herself. Alex had never acted this vulnerable before. Mitchie's heart was torn. She didn't know whether to stay tough and tell Alex to leave, or to hug Alex and tell her it'll all be alright.
She decided on the first. She had made up her mind before Alex had stepped foot into the room. She put her head down. "I'm sorry."
"I'm not taking this stuff back. I know this isn't the end of us. And besides, it's yours now. I'm not giving up, Mitch." And with that, Alex left Mitchie's house.
Mitchie crawled under her covers, not even bothering to change, and cried until she fell asleep.
"Oh, Mitch. I'm so sorry." Lilly's arm remained around Mitchie's shoulders, trying to provide some comfort.
"I think I made a mistake, Lilly. I still love her and I already miss her."
"Well the first few weeks of a breakup are hard. You're just going to have to get through it."
"What if I don't want to get through it? I don't know if it was a mistake or if this is how it should be. I mean, when Alex and I are good, there's nowhere else I'd rather be."
"Then you need to decide if the good is worth fighting for."
"Alex, stop it!" Mitchie giggled as she ran away from Alex. Alex was tickling her and she was finding it hard to breathe. Alex tackled her from behind and Mitchie shrieked.
Alex quickly turned Mitchie over so that she was straddling Mitchie's hips. Alex combed her fingers through Mitchie's hair and the mood seemed to change drastically.
"I love running my fingers through your hair…" Alex trailed off as she continued her ministrations.
"I love tickling you…" Alex tickled Mitchie's stomach and Mitchie giggled.
"I love kissing you…here…" Alex kissed Mitchie's collarbone and made her way up her neck slowly.
"I love kissing your lips…" Alex kissed Mitchie and felt the girl shudder underneath her. She didn't know if it was from her words or from the kiss or maybe a combination of both. Either way, Alex was getting the reaction she wanted.
"But most of all, Mitchie…I love you." Mitchie smile brightly. She felt a warm feeling spread through her body at the words. It was the first time Alex had said it to her.
"I love you, too."
Mitchie looked at Lilly, a look of determination on her face. "It's worth it, Lilly. She's worth it."
Mitchie picked up her phone and sent a text to Alex.
8:15 AM: Meet me at the coffee shop tonight. The usual time.
Mitchie never got a reply but she wasn't worried. She knew Alex would be there. Mitchie, feeling inspired, quickly got to work on her new song.
That night, Mitchie set up her guitar and three of her friends set up their instruments. She was a little saddened knowing that Alex wouldn't be her drummer but this was the way things had to go.
She strummed a chord and then walked up to the mike. She looked out at the crowd. There were about thirty people there, the usual amount. She couldn't see Alex, but she decided to put it all on the line anyway. She had a strong feeling that Alex was out there. "This song is for my girlfriend, Alex."
I throw all of your stuff away
I'm gonna clear you out of my head
I tear you out of my heart
And ignore all of your messages
I tell everyone that we are through
Cause I'm so much better without you
Alex, hidden in the crowd, makes a motion to leave after hearing the first verse but Lilly stops her. "Listen to it."
But it's just another pretty lie
Cause I break down
Every time you come around
O oh o oh
So how did you get here under my skin?
I swore that I'd never let you back in
Should have known better in trying to let you go
Cause here we go go go again
Hard as I try I know I can't quit
Something about you is so addictive
We're falling together
You'd think that by now I'd know
Cause here we go go go again
Alex smiled, realizing she wasn't about to lose the person she loved most.
But I start to go insane
Every time that you look at me
You only hear half of what I say
And you're always showing up too late
And I know that I should say goodbye
But it's no use
Can't be with or without you
O Oh O Oh
Mitchie poured all of her emotion into the song and finished it off. The crowd cheered loudly. Well, as loud as thirty people could anyway. Mitchie looked all over the coffee house but couldn't find Alex. She found Lilly and Lilly shrugged and smiled. Mitchie jumped off stage.
"Where is she?" Mitchie was out of breath when she was whipped around and she felt a pair of lips on her own. Immediately she knew they belonged to Alex. She quickly put her arms around her and her hands slipped to the small of Alex's back. Alex pulled her face away an inch, also now breathless.
"I'm sorry and I love you and that song was amazing. I'm so proud of you, baby."
Mitchie just blushed so Alex continued. "And have I told you how hot you look playing a guitar? I mean, not as hot as me with the drums, but still…it's pretty close." Alex smirked and Mitchie pulled her in for another kiss.
Lilly smiled as Miley walked over to her. Miley looked at the two girls who were still making out. "So they made up? Again?"
"Yeah. I'm happy for them."
"I guess we are just going to have to deal with them being annoying."
Miley took Lilly's hand as they left the coffee house. They stepped into the cool, night air.
"Guess so. As annoying as they can get…they were made for one another."
Miley laughed when she heard Mitchie and Alex yelling for them to wait up.
"Here we go again."