Mistaken Love

"And that's how I came to be a doctor so young. I mean if you think about it I'm really not that young seeing as I'll be 20 next month." Ben finished keeping his eyes on the road.

"It's pretty neat. You'll be very successful. I'm sure any girl would love to marry you." April sighed and leaned her head on the window. "Anthony said after he was done joining the Marines he might want to go into doctoring. Of course I talked him into wanting to be a vet." She smiled sadly.

"That boy changes careers so much. I always heard him talk about wanting to join the circus." Eddie chuckled.

"Remember when he wanted to be a chef like you April? But you were all No that's my dream!" Mimi laughed rubbed her sisters shoulder.

"I wonder what Jake is going to say about this." Eddie sighed.

I turned to face him. He looked dead. Both of his friends abandoned him. Anthony out of death and Jake out of stupidness. He grew up with those guys and now they were gone.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save him. Perhaps if it were a more experienced doctor he could of..." Ben trailed off looking grim.

"No, you did your best and you respected his wishes of saving April. I'm sure he doesn't regret it." Emma sighed leaning on Shaun.

"I didn't know the guy much. I hardly know any of you, but I would of done the same Anthony did for any of you." Shaun said clenching his fists.

"None of this would of happened if we'd just stayed home. We could of found another way to stop the fathers of hell some other way." Zacky groaned.

"We tried our best! I'm sorry I didn't want to loose my chance of happiness!" Emma growled.

"Maybe Zacky's right! We all could of stayed and seen what would of happened." Mimi glared.

"How can you say that! It could of been too late by then!" Shaun hissed.

"Guys stop." April cried. "This is no ones fault. We all chose to come with them. I would of went no matter what. Eddie and Rory needed us." she sniffled.

I saw Ben reach over and hold her hand giving it a gentle squeeze. I looked at Eddie who was just staring out the window. I watched as the cars passed by and the signs vanished. Ben just started driving after we asked him and we hadn't stopped in a while.

"Ben. At the next rest spot pull over. I think we all need some air." I slumped in my seat.

"Sure" he smiled in the rear view mirror.

An hour later there was a big brown cabin type thing that said Rest Lodge. Ben pulled into a parking lot and we all spilled out. Shaun and Emma immediately went to a park bench and sat down. Mimi and Zacky went the complete opposite direction and sat down on the ground. April trudged along beside me holding my hand.

"April, you can cry if you want. It's alright." I hugged her.

"He asked me to marry him Rory." she sniffed. "He said as soon as this adventure is over, we'd come back and finish school. Then he'd marry me."

She pulled out a chain with a beautiful ring on it. It was gold with a bright red ruby in the middle with two diamonds on the side. Even through the accident it still looked brand new.

"Oh April! Why didn't you tell any of us?" I gasped.

"If Mimi saw it or heard that I said yes, she'd break my neck. So I kept it hidden." April said shakily.

"I'm sorry I dragged you all into this. Eddie and I should of taken Emma and Shaun and just split." I groaned.

"No. Didn't you hear me. I chose to come along to support you." April smiled.

"April, I'm so sorry. I wish there was something I could do." I cried hugging her.

We both just stood there for a while rocking back and forth. Both crying. Both wishing we were somewhere else. I looked at the ring dangling around her neck. I couldn't help but scold myself. And then there was Mr. Roth and Mr. Randolph. A fresh waterfall of tears came out in anger. Why can't they leave us alone!

It was all too extreme. So unrealistic. But it was happening. How much bad luck were we all going to have? They would give up eventually right? We could all go back home and live normal lives again right? No more mistakes. No more risks normal kids shouldn't have to take. I can run forever, I have no parents. But the others...

April and I both pulled away and laughed a little. We probably looked hideous. Our eyes were all puffy and hair a mess. The next motel we were by we'd stop their for the night and do laundry and take showers. We'd be good as new. Until Mr. Roth and Mr. Randolph caught up to us.

I shook my head of the thought and turned around at April's wide eyes. Eddie was very unstable. He was by a tree supporting himself. We saw Ben give him some pills and he downed them dry.

"Rory...come here for a second will you?" Eddie begged.

I slowly walked over to him and helped support him as we began to walk. I saw Ben walking over to April but that's all before trees stood everywhere I looked.

"We can rest here Rory. I need to talk to you about stuff." Eddie smiled pained.

--------------------------April's Point of View--------------------------------

I watched Eddie and Rory hobble away. I saw my sister and Zacky...and Emma and Shaun. I wasn't feeling jealousy, just emptiness. I collapsed on the ground hugging myself and shaking. Anthony was gone. Dead. Never coming back. I looked at the ring and tucked it back under my shirt.

"April." a warm hand was placed on my shoulder.

I looked up to see a worried Ben. He led me behind the lodge and then yanked me into him. His hug was soft but strong. Comforting like Rory's but held something else as Anthony's often did. Thinking of him I cried. Ben just let me as I pounded my fists on his chest.

"Why did he have to go!? He could of just saved himself! Damn him!" I bawled.

"I'm sorry April, I tried everything after I, after we both knew you were safe. I gave him some of my blood. I'm sorry I couldn't do much of anything else."

"It's not your fault Ben. It isn't. It's no ones...just bad luck..." I whispered calming down.

Pulling away from his chest I looked up at him. The sadness was there in his eyes and he looked scared. Poor guy, he probably has a girlfriend waiting and we just dragged him into our mess. I frowned and stepped away. Something about this felt wrong.

"I'm sorry you got pulled into this. You probably have someone waiting for you. You can take the car and go back if you want. We'll be fine. Zacky knows how to hot wire." I smiled.

"No it's fine. No ones waiting for me. I want to help you." Ben said tucking a piece of hair behind me ears.

"Ben...this is wrong. You have a bright future set up for you. Why do you care about kids like us?" I asked keeping my breathing even.

"Kids? You guys are like 18 and 17. Stop making me feel old." he laughed.

"Exactly! It's wrong..."

"What's wrong." he whispered coming closer.

"Everything! This! Me and you..." I glared at the ground hating myself.

"We're just hugging..." Ben offered pulling me closer.

"He's dead...he just died 7 hours ago and here I am feeling-"

"Feeling what, April?" Ben asked me looking into my eyes.

I wanted to throw myself away from him, to run and get back in the car. To go cry over Anthony some more. But I couldn't bring myself to. So I leaned forward and pressed my trembling lips to his, surprisingly hot ones. I saw Ben's eyes widen but close again soon after pulling me closer as his tongue trailing across my bottom lip. He nibbled on it and plunged deeper into my open mouth, probing his tongue against mine, feeling every smooth surface.

I shook violently, and cut off the kiss for oxygen. Ben gasped for air, and licked his lips as if savoring the taste. I shut my eyes and let my angry tears fall. I was horrible. Terrible. Something in me was saying that I'd be doing this even if Anthony was still alive.

"I'm a whore! I can't believe I just did that!" I screamed.

Ben pulled me back into a hug. He tilted my chin upwards.

"April, don't ever say that. Anthony would of wanted you to move on."

"But so quickly?!" I shrieked.

"No. You're angry and sad. You probably kissed me just to get your feelings out." Ben said with a half smile. "It may seem terrible but it's a lot safer and better than you doing something stupid or dangerous."

"Ben...I still feel bad. It's like I'm using you so I don't have to feel the pain anymore." I sighed. Not sharing with him exactly how much I enjoyed kissing him.

"Then use me. Use me all you want." he whispered pulling my mouth back to his.
------------------------------MY P.O.V----------------------------------

The rain had stopped long ago but with everyone's tears no one wouldn't be surprised by a flood. If anyone would of saw this picture, they'd know these teens had suffered greatly. Pained happiness, angry passion. Scared and depressed.

Mimi and Zacky sat by a lonely tree. She was in his lap hugging him so tightly. Thinking that if she ever let go he'd be gone. Zacky knew her fear. He dealt with his the wrong way, killing his own father. But he didn't know how to help Mimi. So he just let her cling to him as he brushed back her hair and kissed her head.

"I love you Mimi." he whispered.

"I love you too." She shook and cried.

"I wont let them hurt you."

"I know."

On the other side of fear sat two teenagers. Both relatively new and feeling as if they shouldn't of come. Shaun was hunched over Emma as she laid in his lap. He brought himself so close that their foreheads were touching.

"What would of happened if we had gone along with our own plan...way back when we first heard of this?" Emma asked him quietly.

"For them, they'd be fine. For us, it would of been difficult to spend the rest of my life with you if we were dead."

"But we'd be together." Emma sighed.

"But we wouldn't be able to experience anything. Marriage, sex, kids, getting a house, and all that great stuff." Shaun chuckled at his girlfriend's face.

"You just want sex." she laughed lightly.

They both stared at each other. Trying to feel what their new friend April was going through. Emma and Shaun couldn't think of what it be like without each other. Having to see it was no better. Emma saw Ben take April behind the lodge and sighed sadly. It wasn't fair that half of this mess was caused by her own father. Shaun kissed her softly as a sign of knowing that whatever she was thinking was wrong.

All eight teenagers who were suffering held on to what little happiness was in their lives. The sky opened up to reveal a sun shining on all for them. And if you were to look up I swear to you a smiling Anthony was watching all of them.