Mistaken Love

It had been a week sense we all climbed into the ambulance. A week sense Eddie had told me he loved me. A week sense we continued letting Ben, practically a stranger drive us around. A week sense those horrible car "accident" that left half of us with wounds. A week sense Anthony had died. A week sense my mom had died and left me a fortune. A week sense we've all been on the run. Our current location. Somewhere in Ohio continuing north. We'll hopefully be in Michigan by nightfall or at least early morning.

Ben had been a trooper by driving us with hardly any sleep. When he wasn't driving he was sleeping. The rare times he was awake and had free time to move around he spent in with April. The two always talked quietly away from all of us. They've gotten closer...but whenever I start to see a smile on April's face, her eyes swell up with moisture. Ben once told me she still feels guilty about Anthony.

"Why should I be having a good time while he's dead." she'd whisper to him every time and walk off to the car.

Emma and Shaun we always standing up and moving. If they weren't checking the tires they'd be changing the oil. If they didn't have to tools to do anything with the ambulance they'd clean the thrash that accumulated. They'd speak quickly to anyone that said anything to them. And the only long conversation they'd hold was their own. I know they didn't mean to be rude...they were just fidgety. Emma had even talked to by herself one day.

"I wish you'd tell me your plan to get him off our backs." she huffed out pacing.

"Sorry...I don't know if it'll work so if it backfires I know you guys will be alright,"

"Don't do that whole 'self-sacrifice' shit. It's stupid." she growled.

"I'd like to think I'm smarter than that. It's not like I want to go get myself killed. I just think it'll be more believable if no one but me is in on it." I tried explaining.

"How will we know when it happens?" Emma stomped while pacing.

"You won't. Just trust me. We'll all be fine." I tried smiling.

"You sure?" she asked walking in the direction of Shaun's frantic waving.

"Absolutely." I called after her only half believing my words.

While April kept to herself, Ben would be with her trying to coax her into being somewhat normal again. Emma and Shaun kept themselves busy from everyone else. Mimi and Zacky was a complete different story. Zacky would throw mean looks to anyone that got to close to Mimi. She herself seemed to be coming down with something. Very rarely we'd all wake up to her puking in the morning. Zacky next to her rubbing her back and holding her hair. It was weird. April came back to her old senses enough to notice her sick sister.

"Sure Mimi's immune system is crap but I've never seen anything like this..." April told us one night.

"Perhaps I should take a look at her." Ben spoke out.

This caused a nasty glare from Zacky.

"Leave her alone. She's fine." he said looking at everyone.

"She's my sister! I'm worried about her and I say Ben should look at her." April protested.

"NO!" he growled and stomped over to Mimi's sleeping form.

This continued for about another day and a half. I was trying to find Eddie but I just happened to run into Zacky and Mimi hugging under a tree. I stood behind a tree not really listening, just over hearing some stuff.

"I know....cute...." Zacky muttered.

"Painful....tired....hungry...." Mimi mumbled.

Zacky smiled and looked down at her and gently ran his thumbs over her scared cheeks. Before I knew it he kissed her very very passionately and walked off. I decided this was my opportune moment and dived in the clearing. Just walking casually determined to find out what's wrong.

"Zacky I told you. I'm not hungry for you, I want some real food." Mimi laughed turning around. "Oh! H-hey Rory it's you." she smiled at me.

"Hey. We need to talk." I said simply.

"Zacky left to go get me something to eat...um I'm kind of tired too...so could we talk later?" she asked me nicely but with a hint of annoyance.

"No. What's wrong with you?" I asked.

"I'm alright. Really."

"Bull shit."

"Rory, you don't need to know everything." she sighed sitting down.

"Sorry I care. We all do. Tell us." I probed.

"Um...quick question. Can stress cause birth defects?"

"How would I know that? That's a better question for Ben. Want me to go get- OH MY GOD!" I suddenly realized and shouted. I jumped up gasping and pointing at her.

"Shh, keep your voice down." Mimi glared with a blushing face.

"You...you and...when...Zacky and you...did....where....sex?!" I stopped. I wasn't making much sense and she was still blushing. I took a deep breath.

"Mimi. You're pregnant?"

"Yes.

"How long?"

"Almost a month."

"When."

"The night before we all left...that's what we think anyway."

"Oh my God."

"Mhm...pretty shocking right?"

"It's...it's wonderful..." I smiled reaching out to her tummy. "May I?" I asked hopeful.

She narrowed her eyes and sighed. "If you must."

This how I found out Mimi was going to be a mom. A MOM! I ran back to everyone with a promise to keep it secret until tonight. If she or Zacky wouldn't tell them, I would. Her confession would follow up with the best check up Ben can do without his equipment. April smiled a true smile in a long while. She jumped and squealed reaching out and hugged Eddie bouncing up and down. Shaun and Emma had their jaw dropped and could only applaud. Eddie held his thumbs up with a smile.

So basically we all pampered Mimi as best as we could. She wasn't fat yet by any means and I knew she was getting fed up with not doing anything or herself but Ben and Zacky didn't want to take any chances.

All the while as the week dragged on and we drove on I felt content. We hadn't heard from the psycho fathers in a long while. Every night we were in a hotel we charged our phones, showered, and had some real food. I mean of course I paid for everything...I had plenty. Eventually I 'd pay for a room with two bed and just have three other people with me. After we'd pay and got the room key we'd sneak the rest of our friends in through the back sliding glass door. That's right. Always ask for the ground floor.

We never found another car for Zacky to hot wire. The pros were that we could drive as fast as we wanted. Ben was a secret speed demon...the cons...we stuck out like a sore thumb.

Everyone piled into their beds or on the floor where ever they could get comfortable and passed out. I was sharing a bed with Emma and April. Eddie had the pull out couch thing with Shaun and Ben. Zacky and Mimi got the other bed. Zacky didn't like to share and Mimi was pregnant after all.

With April clicking her tongue every ten minutes and Emma rustling around I found it hard to get to sleep every night. I got there eventually but it took a while. I stared at the ceiling and groaned. Zacky and Mimi were a snoring couple. Mimi's were very light and delicate usually inaudible but Zacky on the other hand was like a freaking truck! Shaun was a sleep...laugher. Ben was a cuddler, we'd found him in some interesting predicaments. He'd claim it wasn't his fault and we'd all just poke fun at him in the morning.

Eddie...he was different. He'd get sleepy with loud noises but if it was silent...he'd be awake all night with heavy bags under his eyes. I hope he's enjoying the snoring tonight. I had just about given up on sleeping when my phone vibrated.

Where R U?

Out of Town. What do you want Seb...it's like...1 in the morning

Jake is worried. We all R.

We'll be back soon hopefully. Night.

I sighed and placed it back on the night stand. Ten minutes later I had found myself drifting slowly but surly into dream land. Though I must have taken a wrong turn. My sweet dream I was wishing for turned dark very fast.

It was gray. Everyone and everything looked dingy and old. I saw my friends. Mimi was holding onto Zacky glaring into the sky. April held Anthony's left hand and Ben's right. She took glared at the sky with the boys. Shaun held Emma in his arms, both of them throwing dirty glances upward too.

I turned my face skyward and gasped. It was a sickening scene. Eddie, the only thing in color, was trapped on a cloud. It looked like he was shouting something but no noise was heard. Just then everyone looked at me all at once, smiling. They pushed me! All of them at once shoved me hard over the edge of the cliff we were apparently standing on. Before I got the chance to scream I was on the cloud with Eddie. He looked over and smiled at me.

He ran over and wrapped both my hands in his. His lips were moving but I couldn't hear anything. He was leaning in with his mouth moving slower. I read his lips, I love you. Before our lips met I heard a gun shot and Eddie scream! My first reaction was that he was hurt. I held him close and whispered, surprised to hear my own voice above his sobs.

"Stay awake. Stay with me Eddie. Don't die." I begged.

"Rory. I'm sorry. I made the hugest mistake. I should of never gotten to know you." he whispered.

That's when I felt the pain in my heart. I gasped and coughed up blood. Eddie turned gray and the red blood was all the color now. It was me. I was the one to get shot. That's when I fell through the cloud into darkness. The world was silent once again for I couldn't hear my own screams.

"ory," a voice called panicked, "RORY!" it called again.

"Eddie." I gasped out and...woke up. Everyone was surrounding me. I looked to the clock through blurred vision to see it read 3:33am. Eddie was right in my face as I turned around back to my friends.

"You look like you just saw a ghost Eddie." I whispered hoarsely.

"Me? Y-you were screaming bloody murder!" Eddie gasped at me taking hold of my hands.

"Among other things too like his name..." Shaun yawned.

"Are you alright?" Emma asked.

"Yeah. Just a really bad dream..." I breathed letting go of the death grip I had on my shirt on the place where my heart was. When did I grab my heart?

After Mimi rushed and got me a glass of water we all climbed back into bed. I was still sitting up as Eddie looked at me from where he was laying down at. I threw a pillow down near the back door and motioned for him to come with me. He snatched one of the blankets and crawled toward me and the pillow.

"What else was I saying?" I asked him as we huddled together.

"I'm not sure...there was just a lot of screaming...I thought I heard you say 'Stay away' though." he said nuzzling his face into my hair.

"No. I said 'Stay with me' silly." I said scooting closer

"Want to talk about it?" he asked rubbing my back.

"No. I want to forget about it." I sighed feeling drowsy once more.

I took Eddie's silence as an "OK" and dozed off. He rubbed his eyes all throughout packing up our things. I counted twenty five yawns as we got breakfast. When I asked what was wrong he just smiled and hugged me. I wasn't aware Eddie James had stayed awake the rest of that night making sure I was safe.