Chapter forty-three.

I punched Sean's arm as he laughed, I had told him what I done to Tony last night and he thought it was highly amusing. He stopped when I pouted, so I knew that worked on him. "What do you think I should do?" I asked after a few minutes of silence.

"It's your choice; no one can really decide for you... you know that." Sean crossed his arms behind his head; I lay down next to him on my bed.

"Sean, of course I know that. Nearly everyone has told me that but it's hard to know what to do without help."

"Sorry, sweetie, it's life."

I huffed and turned the TV on. I didn't know what to do about Zac. If he does like me things could get a bit more awkward since I know I have to choose soon - if he didn't like me, then it would make it easy to make the choice... my life's messed up.

"You do realize you're staring at a blank screen," Sean whispered to me after Glee had finished.

"Shh. You're ruining my train of thought." He chuckled and stood up.

"I better get going; I'll meet you tomorrow, okay? Be good, night." I hugged him and watched him as he disappeared out my bedroom door and walked down the stairs. I sighed and soon my eyes drifted close, I suppose I could spare a few minutes to nap...

~

"Mum?"

"Hello, darling."

"Wh- what are you doing here?" I tried to blink, but I realized I wasn't in my room. I was in the park me and my mum went to when I was a kid. I was in the middle of the field, just a bit away from the swing park.

"To see you, silly."

"Why?" I spun round, trying to see if anyone else was here. It was completely empty.

"Can't a mother visit her own daughter?" She frowned. She didn't even look like a ghost - like I expected.

"Not really... Especially if they're a-" I stopped short. Say she didn't know she was dead? Say she thought she was alive and this was one of our normal visits?

"Darling," she touched my cheek, it shocked me at first so much that I pulled away but the hurt look on her face made me move towards her again. "Wake up." She whispered. I looked at her in confusion. "Wake up."

"What?" My head felt funny and my chest could barely move.

"Darling," my mum whispered. "You'll be okay." The words she said to me before she died. Her smile faded as I felt my eyes slowly begin to droop. "Wake up, darling. Time to wake up."

~

"Come on, Mitchie, wake up!" I coughed and looked at the person bent over me. "Oh thank God."

Tony? My eyes scanned around me and saw his brothers leaning over another figure. What's going on?

"Lay down, sweetie. You'll be okay," a woman said to me. She was dressed in paramedic uniform.

"What happened?" I choked. My house looked burnt and the bottom windows were blown out.

"There was a fire. Don't you remember?" I shook my head. "What were you doing?"

"I fell asleep..." I thought it was too easy to fall asleep like that - normally it takes me half an hour. "Who started it?" I asked once they had set me in the ambulance.

"They think-" Tony looked at the paramedic who nodded carefully. "The police think your dad started it."

"What? No way! He would never purposely start a fire!" From my spot in the ambulance I could see the police officers questioning my father. His eyes met mine and by his expression I could see how torn he was. I let my eyes drift away and scan around. A couple of houses away I could just make out a person. My breath caught in my throat. It couldn't be.

"Mitchie?" I turned to look at Sean. "I'm so so so sorry, I shouldn't have left you." He pulled me into a hug, murmuring how sorry he was every few seconds.

"Sean." I pushed him away so he would look at me. "Don't you dare blame any of this on yourself." He opened his mouth to protest but I cut him off. "Sean, I swear to God, I will kick your ass if you say sorry one more time but since I'm practically strapped to the bed, I can't." He smiled and shook his head.

"Well, it seems as though nothing major is wrong, nothing you need to go hospital for but if you feel lightheaded, nauseas or any other things that bring concern come to the hospital to be checked out," the lady smiled and helped me out the ambulance. "Make sure you take it easy-" before she finished her sentence I was wobbling and seconds later, lying in Sean's arms. The paramedic sighed, "Come on sweetie, we better get you to the hospital."

I tried to tell them I would be fine but they wouldn't listen. What did they expect anyway, me to be on my feet and dancing after just getting out of a fire? I watched as my father got into a police car as I got back into the ambulance. I could pretty much guess this was going to be a long night.

~

"Shut up."

"Who do you think you are telling me to shut up?!" I watched in amusement as Sean and Tony argued back and forth.

"Obviously I'm telling you!" Sean crossed his arms over his chest. I burst out laughing and nearly fell off the bed. They both faced me with smirks on their faces. "Hey, I just realized, why are we arguing? Wasn't it her fault we got in trouble?"

"Oh yeah!" Suddenly déjà vú washed over me as I was tackled by both boys.

"God, this has happened too much to me."

"What do you mean?" Sean asked as he took a seat on the hospital bed, basically shoving me into the pillows.

"Him," I jerked my thumb at Tony, "and his brothers all jumped on me while I was still in bed a few weeks back. And you and James tackled me only a little while ago..." I watched as realization crossed their faces before they chuckled.

"Well, look whose back." We faced the door to see Kathy walking through. "What you in for this time, Mitchie?"

"Hey, Kathy. There was a fire and they said I had to come here." I grimaced as she snorted.

"Don't get too use to coming into hospital, I might not be your nurse all the time," she winked and turned to the boys. "Hello, I'm Kathy."

"Sean and that idiot is Tony." They both waved at her. I grinned and clapped my hands together, gaining the attention of the other three.

"Kathy, how old are you?"

"You're a girl; I thought you knew people don't like being asked their age," She laughed but answered anyway, "I'm eighteen. Your sixteen, is that right?" She nodded her head in our general direction.

"Yeah, we're sixteen, going on seventeen soon," I spoke for all of us. She nodded once before reading my clipboard. "You guys know that the visiting hours are almost over and you have to leave soon?" She only raised her head to see the boys groan. "Though... the other nurses don't know you're in here, and I'm the only one coming in I suppose you could stay the night if you don't mind not leaving the room?" The boys eagerly nodded at this causing me and her to chuckle.

"They're great boys, good friends of yours?" She whispered to me while they waited in my little bathroom so she could check the slight burn on my back.

"Yeah, great friends." I sighed and asked her the question I had been thinking the whole time. "Are you dating someone?"

Her hand froze on my back. "You're a bit young..."

"Oh god, not me!" I laughed. "No, no, you seem like you could be a good match for my friend..." A friend I wanted to get over me and vice versa.

"Oh." she seemed to perk up. "And who is this young man?"

Before I could tell her Sean barged back into the room. "Come in, Sean, it's only shut so you two can guess what I look like with my top up-" I stopped short once I remembered that Tony has seen me with my top up... and off.

"Sorry, can I talk to you for a second?"

"I'll come back." I watched Kathy's blonde hair disappear as she walked out the door.

"What is it, Sean?"

"You're planning on setting her up, aren't you?" I nodded. "This won't be a good idea. I know you, I've known you for only a little while but I know you. You'll get jealous and the guy won't talk to you if they don't like that you've set them up..."

I huffed. "I suppose it's good I've found you and befriended you."

"You make me sound bad."

"You know I love you," I poked my tongue out at him making him laugh.

"Which boy were you planning on setting her up with?"

"No love back? I see how it is," I crossed my arms over my chest and looked out the window. I felt the bed dip as he climbed on and squeezed me.

"You know I love you, Mitchie bear." I hugged him back.

"I'm glad we became friends, Sean."

"Same here, same here..." We sat in silence for a few minutes until the sound of soft talking drifted towards us.” Is that Tony talking?" I shrugged and strained to hear who was talking.

"She's in here, but you can't stay long," Kathy said to someone, she poked her head in and smiled at us. "You two are so cute together!"

Any more awkward than that?

Zac walked through the door and looked us.

Apparently it can get more awkward. Anymore to be added?

"Oh, sorry," she said once she realized that we were, in fact, not together. "Erm, this young lad would like to talk to you, let me guess, he's staying the night as well?" I grinned at Zac and nodded. "Okay, I'll bring some pillows," she waited until he was further in before she mouthed, "He’s hot!"

I chuckled, the three boys sat in the chairs facing me. Kathy stood in the doorway and mouthed, "They’re all hot." She left the room with a wink, making me blush.

Yes, they were hot and very, very irresistible...

~

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