So I hope my math test goes well later on (By the way, it did). I have the best readers EVER. Also sorry this wasn't posted like two hours ago, I was getting too relaxed with my cousins. We were playing games on the iPad, soon playing Life (board game) and its just fun to chill with my family.
It was six a.m. when I awoke. I was tired, my back ached due to the fact that everyone fell to sleep huddled up together on the couch. The only ones comfortable enough to not be aching at this moment was Max and Coco, they both slept laying across us. Good for them. I faced the back hallway, noticing that the light was on, so I decided to find Teresa before the sun rose completely. I moved from the couch as best as I could before tiptoeing it to the back.
"Teresa!" I whispered, making sure I wasn't too loud to wake anyone. "Teresa?"
"Mitchie, what are you doing up so early?" The woman stood in the archway of one of the rooms, I suppose moving things around. She was already dressed for the day, her hair pinned into a bun as Jerry worked behind her.
"I um…can I borrow your truck?" Now this was something I never asked to do, and no matter how long I knew Teresa, sixteen years counting from my birthday after I was two, I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important.
"You know we're leaving in a few hours right?" She whispered as I nodded.
"Its just. I wasn't here for Alex's eighteenth birthday and she's going through a lot of trouble for mine, so I decided to do something for her."
"Is that so?" Teresa smiled as I nodded once more before she peered behind her.
"So, what are you planning on doing? Because you know the stores are at least thirty minutes from here. I can't let you go alone."
"So you'll go with me?"
"Yeah." She made it back into the room, telling me to go get dressed, which I happily did. The room across the hall held all of our clothes, bags, and random things the Russo's brought along with them. I didn't realize that almost everything I grabbed from home was so different from what I usually wear. Shorts, a top with sleeves that fell across my shoulders, slightly showing my skin, and of course I didn't grab shoes…so I had to grab my knee boots once more. It took me no more then ten good minutes to quickly do everything before dressing. Teresa was outside waiting for me, so I joined her.
"So what was it that you're doing for Alex again?" She asked, waiting patiently.
"I want to buy a large cupcake and a few other things so we can have a picnic….over there." I signaled towards the spot we traveled to last night, just Alex and I.
"You know, I remember when you and Alex would walk back and forth between our house and the Jones' place down there."
"Yeah." I nodded, still not remembering these walks Alex and her mother were mentioning. Once I climbed in the car I noticed that Alex nor Justin chose to pick up the map form the floor. I lifted it up, handing it to Teresa.
"What's this?" She asked as I shrugged.
"I don't know. I'm not suppose to see it."
"Oh, okay." And with that we were on our way, thirty minutes to the local market.
…..
Alex's P.O.V
"Move it!" I shoved Justin over a bit as everyone began waking up. We were practically smashed into each other like sardines in a can. "I need to breath, Justin wake up." I hit my brother on the back of his neck as he opened his eyes.
"What time is it?" He complained as I moved away from him. Conrad was on the floor whining about his back. I had the same pains but I wasn't going to complain about it, besides my neck was killing me. I shook a bit before looking around. Coco was scratching and whining at the door so I suppose she had to go out. I grabbed her leash form the arm of the couch and took her on a walk. We used the road as a guide, walking towards the only other house that was out here.
"So Coco, you look like you need a bath. I'll tell uncle Max when we get back." The puppy barked once I said that before I saw something on the nearby beach shining. I tried to ignore it, but it was shining brightly, like the blue rock I found when I was a kid, just running along the bank. I released Coco from her leash as we both ran toward the object. Coco arrived before me, sniffing the thing before barking. Knocking her nose against it before she laid over it.
"Can I see what that is?" I asked as she barked. "Let me see it." I lowered myself to her level, pulling sand fro under her since she was so determined to stay in place. Soon my finger grazed something smooth, so I clutched to it, before pulling it out as Coco sat up, barking at me.
"Hey shush. This is…" I studied the smooth object. It was indeed a rock. A smooth blue one with small specks of black and silver running through it. I was sure it wasn't a egg, because there was a time when I mistaken a egg for a rock, and lets just say it didn't end well.
"I bet Mitchie will remember this." I twirled the rock between my fingers as I heard a screen door open. I looked up, and not too far away was a outline of someone.
"Sorry for being on your property, I was just looking at…" I stood up as the girl on the porch squealed. My heart stopped, like it seriously stopped. I took one step back as the girl began screaming, I suppose out of joy in some way. She ran down her steps as I turned around and began running back to the house, with the rock in my hand. I couldn't believe that this girl, the one I've been avoiding since the cruise was a Jones. I don't remember her being a Jones, but then again that was so long ago. The girl I met there once before wasn't as mad and crazy as this girl.
"ALEX WAIT!" I heard her yell as Coco pulled herself from my fingers, stopping and facing the girl. I had to finally turn back around as Coco lowered herself to the sand, growling horribly.
"Its okay girl," I called to the dog, reaching for her leash as the girl stopped in front of us.
"Don't you remember me? It hasn't been that long. I'm Michelle… Michelle Jones, we went on the cruise together, and we…I saw you and your class mates on the trip."
"I don't remember you." I lied, turning away from the girl, spotting my house in the distance.
"Okay I get that you don't want to see me. You never really wanted to but we were amazing friends on the cruise. Remember the night out off the ship? We all were going to get into trouble that day."
"How come I don't remember you living there?" I signaled towards her beach house before retracing my steps home.
"Because my family only came every few summers. Like every three years, so out of eighteen years of my life, here's visit number six. I'm glad that you're here."
"I can't talk to you." I released Coco from her leash once more as she walked closely to my side, watching Michelle's every move. The girl's hair was actually darker then I remembered it, black almost.
"I know that I was wrong for…everything I caused you and Mitchie to go through."
"Wrong? It was more then that."
"And I'm sorry." Her words caught me off guard as I stopped. Coco must of thought something happened because she leapt up and took a defensive pose.
"You're sorry?"
"Yeah." She nodded. "I admit that I was a little crazy, and a little delusional and…I'm really sorry. Its just, when your mom invited my parents to come on the cruise, I thought it was for us to hang out. Turns out you still had Mitchie following you, and you were holding onto her every chance you got. Our parents didn't talk on the ship, and my sister just thought that maybe I should…fall in love with someone else."
I stopped breathing for a quick moment. Was all of this true, was this the girl that actually lived down the beach from me? Was this the girl Mitchie would always play with after I pushed her down somewhere? Was Michelle the girl that I told all my secrets to?
"And so, I'm really sorry for everything. I'm making myself slowly move on." She giggled a bit as I gazed at her.
"Tell me something, if you are the girl from that house, then name one thing that I've told you…it could be anything." I watched Michelle as she nodded.
"Back when you took that rock, well an identical one back when we were kids, you told me not to tell Mitchie about it. That's the day we were playing dress-up in my backyard, and I didn't tell her, although I wanted to. And then you gave her the rock and…"
"I know what happened." I studied the girl a little longer. Maybe she was the same girl from when I was a kid, but how come it never clicked for me in my head who she was before. "You told us your name was Madison back then."
"It was, well is. Michelle Madison Jones, I liked my middle name better and that's usually what my friends called me. Besides, I told you that my name was Madison. As kids Mitchie knew me as Michelle."
This was crazy, I was standing in front of the girl that caused a lot of problems for me and yet, I didn't feel anger towards her.
"Well…I guess I won't hold a grudge against you. I'm eighteen, I'm more mature then my violent younger self." I explained as Michelle giggled.
"That's good. I hope to see you some other time."
"I doubt it. Just because you're sorry, and just because I forgive you, doesn't mean we can be friends." I took a deep breath as Michelle nodded before I tapped my leg with my fingers. Coco faced me before barking, walking towards the house shortly after.
"But since you forgive me, I want you to know, that the hardest thing I ever had to do, was make my heart let go of you." Michelle gave me a half smile before walking back to her house. I watched her for a few seconds, making sure she wasn't trying any tricks before I sighed. She apologized, Claire apologized, was the universe playing some sick joke to get me back later on or what? I was just glad that things seemed to be making themselves better.
….
Mitchie's P.O.V
"Hey mom," I was on the phone, listening to my mother but barley paying attention. It wasn't important I suppose, she just wanted me home considering that for the past few days I was with Alex and her family.
"Mitchie, how about this cupcake?" Teresa asked me, as she leaned over a glass counter looking down at it contents.
"Mom I have to go, I love you, tell dad I love him, okay mom…okay..okay bye." I hung up the phone, gazing at the different cupcakes before I spotted the large one Teresa was pointing at. It was the size of my head if not bigger, and don't make a joke of my head size, its very normal. The cupcake was decorated in purple and green with red dots on the top of it.
"I want that one." I told the man on the other side before he opened the glass from the other side, moving things around as I faced Teresa. "I think that's everything."
"Now remember, we'll be leaving a hour after your picnic."
"I know." I nodded, grabbing the box from the man over the counter before, handing him the cash. Once we were back outside and in the truck, we made out way thirty minutes back to the beach house. It wasn't as hot as yesterday, but the whether was still nice. I let the wind whip through my hair as Teresa sung to something on the radio. The song was in Spanish and so I tried to focus on the words but it was a total fail. Alex never spoke Spanish, and I doubt she knew but a few phrases at that. I held onto the cupcake box as best as I could before I felt myself drifting off to sleep. I took a deep breath, yawning before closing my eyes.
"We'll be there in ten minutes." Teresa explained to me as I nodded, letting her voice drift off as I hummed myself to sleep.
… ….. … ….
Shortly after I dozed off I felt the car jerk forward a bit.
"Mitch, we're here." Teresa was whispering into my ear but I refused to open my eyes. I was tired. The warm air caused me to feel as if I was actually weak, barley able to move. "Here, I'll get this stuff and you get everything before alerting Alex." I only nodded, still not paying much attention to the woman, as the car door closed.
…..
Alex's P.O.V
The house was alive. Max was playing video games with Justin and Conrad was talking to Mackenzie, and she was actually listening. I didn't want to bother any of them so I went to the back looking for Mitchie. I didn't see her when I took Coco for her walk, nor when I woke up, so she had to be around the house somewhere. Crap. I ran as fast as I could to the back room, but the only person I noticed was my dad.
"Hey Alex, what's wrong?" I guess my face was a bit turned up.
"Nothing. Have you seen Mitchie?"
"Uh yeah, she left with your mom maybe…two hours ago."
"Two hours ago?" I glanced behind me before walking out of the room and across the hall. Mitchie was no where in sight this time either. I kicked one of the clothes bags on the floor before deciding to get dressed. There was no point in looking for someone who wasn't there. I gathered my shorts, top and sneakers and other things before running into the bathroom. The shower was long and relaxing. My mind was clear for the first time in a while. I was still debating on telling Mitchie about Michelle being the girl from a while ago when we were kids, but I would wait just a while. By the end of the day she would know, but I was going to push in the part where Michelle said she was sorry, just like the way Claire did. Once I was done, dressed, and out of the room I heard the car outside.
"Mom's back!" Max yelled as my dad worked his way around the kitchen for breakfast. My mom was carrying something in her hands before she placed it in the backseat. I saw Mitchie, sleeping like a baby in the passenger seat. I smiled, moving down the steps and over to her side before opening the door.
"Rise and shine." I brushed my fingers across Mitchie's cheek, sliding her hair out of her face before leaning in to kiss her. I felt her kissing back, and soon enough her eyes opened.
"Stop kissing sleeping girls." She told me as I pulled back.
"Sorry, it's a weakness of mine when she's as hot as you."
"Wait, so I'm as hot as myself?" Mitchie asked, pushing herself up as I nodded.
"Of course."
It didn't take her anytime to get out of the car, as my mom handed her a brown whicker basket.
"Remember one hour." She told Mitchie, as she nodded, grabbing my hand.
"What's this?" I asked as Mitchie tugged me along to follow her. We were moving into the direction of the Jones place. It felt kind of weir making it back towards a place I just left not too long ago. "Mitchie I have something to tell you."
"Okay." She leaned into my shoulder, still carrying that basket.
"So don't you know the girl who use to always run out of her house with a towel when I'd shove you into the water?"
"Slightly."
"Well she's a Jones."
"I know that. I mean I don't really remember her but…"
"And that Jones is Michelle. The girl from the cruise…I met her today while walking Coco and long story short, she apologized to me for everything."
Mitchie pulled away, before I noticed she was fully alert now. She glanced over at the house that we were halfway near before she slowly sat against the sand, placing her basket out in front of her.
"Sit." She told me, as I did so. "She apologized."
"So you're not mad?" I asked as she giggled.
"No, why would I be? She apologized, and I trust you."
I nodded as she began opening her basket up. The first thing I saw was a huge, and I mean enormous cupcake, and a few plates and grapes, and other random fruits.
"What's this, a picnic?" I asked as Mitchie nodded.
"This is a private birthday party for you."
"For me?"
"Yes. Because I know I wasn't there for your birthday, and…I didn't really wish you a happy eightieth so…I'm doing it now."
"Why?"
"Because I can." Mitchie giggled before pulling out a mat to set the food on. "And because, you're the most important person in my life, and I want us to build memories."
"About my false eighteenth birthday?" I asked, raising my eyebrow as Mitchie rolled her eyes.
"Yeah sure, why not." She slowly pulled everything out one by one before I noticed a dark blue blanket at the bottom.
"Don't you think this would of worked better if this went first?" I rose the blanket up to her as she narrowed her eyes at me. "I was just asking."
"Fix it up. And its in the right order." Mitchie told me as I decided to do as she asked. Standing up before shaking the blanket in the opposite direction, watching it open before I placed it against the sand. After it fell down I sat against it as Mitchie slid everything over on the small tray before us.
"Lay flat on the cover." Mitchie told me as I sighed.
"This isn't going to get kinky in the daytime will it?"
"I don't always think like you. Now lay on your back."
"But what if…"
"Alex." Mitchie whined as I giggled, laying down quickly. The sun grazed my face gently as I closed my eyes, taking in the clean fresh air. The ocean came against the beach a few times, letting the waves wash sand back into the water when it receded. I was actually enjoying the peace and quiet. Then just as I was adjusting to feeling relaxed, I could feel Mitchie hovering above my head. I opened my eyes but quickly closed them once more as Mitchie's fingers landed against my shoulders. She kneaded her knuckles against my skin as I sighed. Since I slept on that couch last night I was actually getting relaxed from the massage.
"I think I'll keep you." I huffed out as I felt Mitchie's lips press against my forehead. I sighed, listening to the waves once more. Mitchie began humming as her fingers slid from my shoulders and down my arms. I was trying hard to think normal, natural thoughts, but with Mitchie running her fingers against my skin, it was too hard to focus. Her lips fell against my nose, as I smiled.
"So before this little massage goes too far, do you think we should eat something?" I asked, but no words left the girl as she kissed my lips. Her fingers quickly ran against my face as I shook my head and Mitchie held me in place. I was on the verge of laughing and I didn't know why. Soon she pulled away as I sat up.
"We can eat now."
"What did you do?" I asked as she shrugged.
"Nothing, I just wanted to kiss you, is that a crime?"
"..no..I guess not." I was still watching Mitchie as we sat side by side, with her grabbing my giant cupcake. Somehow she pulled a candle from the basket that I hadn't seen before, it had the letter 'A' carved onto it.
"Happy Birthday to you…"
Mitchie was seriously singing to me.
"Happy Birthday to you…"
I could actually feel a smile growing on my face.
"Happy birthday…happy birthday…happy birthday to you…"
I thought the song was over as she lit the candle.
"Happy birthday dear Alex…happy birthday…"
I smiled as Mitchie did the same thing.
"Happy Birthday to….you…"
With her final verse she signaled me to blow out the candle. I leaned into the flame as the wind picked up. I took a deep breath, closing my eyes before blowing out the flame, pulling back as Mitchie clapped.
"Yay. You're officially eighteen."
"I was already eighteen."
"But now you're officially eighteen." Mitchie slid her finger into the frosting as I did the same. She ran the purple cream against my nose as I pouted. The cupcake seemed amazing to eat, but other then eating it, sliding it across Mitchie's legs would be hilarious. I bit my bottom lip rubbing the frosting on my finger against her leg as she complained. I lifted the cupcake into my hands, it was so pretty, and yet so heavy. I bit into the top, before slowly shaking my hands.
"This is so heavy."
"Alex be careful with that." Mitchie lifted her hands into the air defensively as I smiled, making the cupcake fall straight forward, landing into Mitchie's lap as her eyes came up to mine. "Alex…"
"Sorry." I quickly placed my palm against her lap, flattening the rest of the confection before running my hands along Mitchie's thigh. "Its just that you're so sweet…literally."
…..
Mitchie's P.O.V
All eyes were on Alex and I when we arrived back home. I was covered in dried frosting and cake bits and Alex was soaked with grape pits and apple seeds stuck to her skin and clothes.
"What happened?" Conrad asked as I shrugged.
"Just a little…something." I looked past Conrad into the house. Everyone was ready to go and we were either soaked or caked with something.
"Girls we…" Teresa gazed between the two of us. "I don't even want to know. Please change quickly, we have to go."
"Its Mitchie's fault." Alex told her mother as I stuck out my tongue, walking into the house as Coco ran up to me, licking my leg.
"Hey…" I began giggling as Coco tried to get everything off my leg. Each piece of smashed cake was getting licked up.
"Enough of that, we have to change." Alex pulled me out of the living room and into the bathroom, closing the door before running the water in the sink.
"You ruined my hair, look at all this sand and cake." I pushed things out left and right before stepping over to the shower.
"Mitchie we don't have time to shower."
"You're right. We don't." I smiled, "I do." I stepped into the shower, closing the door with my clothes on before I let the water run over me. I could feel everything sliding from my hair, it was gross.
"Oh my god, there's a girl in here, le gasp." Alex giggled, knocking against the door as I hit back.
"Stop it."
"Oh you want more?" She asked before she hit the glass a few more times. "Are you hot?"
"What?"
"Please let me in."
"Stop it."
"But you're so beautiful." She called to me just as I pulled my shirt over my head, letting my shorts stick to my body more.
"Not that I want to know but…what's going on in there?" I could hear Justin's voice from the outside as Alex opened the door, I could feel the breeze, but I was glad the shower door was closed. I replaced my shirt before shutting off the water and stepping out.
"We were just washing up." I told Justin.
"Yeah, it didn't sound like it."
"Well we were. That was Alex acting all crazy." I signaled to the girl as she pushed her brother form the bathroom.
"Get us some clothes please." And with that she closed the door facing me. "Strip."
"Shut up."
"I'm serious." Alex said before I rose my eyebrow.
"No."
"Well stay soaked for all I care."
I watched her as Justin walked back, handing us our clothes before he left again. I shook my hair one last time before pulling my clothes off, one at a time, letting the wet fabric slam against the tile. Alex was doing the same, and just as we changed, we redressed even quickly. Once we went outside Mackenzie, Conrad and Harper was staring at us, smiles pressed against their faces.
"Nothing happened." Alex told them as they snickered. I called Coco to me, staring at the girl on the beach. It was indeed Michelle as Alex said.
"Everyone in the car. Mitchie, Justin, Conrad and Max with Dad, Alex, Justin, Harper, Mackenzie and Coco with me." Teresa told us as everyone did what she said. I made it onto the beach one last time, walking over to Michelle as she slowly stepped back before stopping.
"Michelle." I began.
"Hi Mitchie."
"So?"
"I'm sorry about everything. I came to let you know. Woman to woman." She seemed so different then the girl I saw just months ago.
"Are you truly sorry?" I asked.
"I am. For everything."
"Then apology accepted." I heard people calling me as I moved away. I ran back to the car before Conrad slid over. I sat next to him as I watched the beach house fade into the distance.
"Lets beat Teresa home!" Jerry looked back at us as we nodded in agreement.
Oh before the thank yous, I want you guys to know that 'The hardest thing I ever had to do, was make my heart let go of you," was actually a song that my dream Demi sung. I mean, I had a full blown concert playing in my head. Actually an entire movie of Demi and Selena, and things just went so wrong in that dream that Demi sung this song. I have the entire thing written down from memory, (the song,) and if you guys want to read it, then I'll post it at the end of the next chapter. I'm telling you guys, that song was so crazy, and it felt too real.
Also, if the ending is off that's my fault. I was watching television.
First off for reviewing the last few chapters, thanks guys, I love getting reviews, you just don't understand ha-ha.
full360-2b-me, AtUFrEdDiE, MMKESLER, SemiBieber, LEATHERnGOLD, (And. Your.Point.)- this site hates you name...I'm sorry, it turns your name into .point all the time., thousand lies, stepsteptrip, Eaw1029, Ash15067 …. I'll separately thank you guys in the next chapter its just that its late and I'm tired…but thank you guys SO SO SO SO MUCH…I love each and every review because it pushes me forward to write more. Just a few more chapters and there already planned out, but thank you guys for reviewing. And some of these guesses about what's going to happen next is actually making me smile, and go, 'wow, does it read like that?' Anyway, thanks guys, I hope you enjoyed it.