Chapter One
"Oh hey Brady" Mimi greeted as she and her best friend entered dot.com.
"Hey Meems, what's up?"
"Not much I guess. You?"
"I'm alright. But really. How are you doing? I mean, since Kevin and all" Brady's eyes were glowing of genuine concern. He was head over heels in love with Mimi Lockhart, but was so sure that she didn't feel the same way. So he didn't dare tell her how he felt.
"Honestly Bray, I'm really okay. There are times you know, when I just really want someone to hold me and love and just...really care for me. I want my soul-mate. Ohmigosh, that must have sounded so dumb!" Mimi was so embarrassed.
"No, no, not at all. I understand what you mean, I want someone like that, too. But while we're waiting, you want a mocha?" Brady chuckled as he left to get Mimi and himself to mochas. As Mimi watched her best friend walk to buy her a drink, she felt a sudden attraction towards Brady. 'What's going on with me? Why am I looking at him that way? Am I falling for Brady Black? The same guy that used to chase me around with worms and throw me into the mud??? No! Of course not, I'm just on the rebound, that's all.'
Mimi thought back to those childhood memories.
Flashback
"Brady!!! Go away!!! Belle help!!! AAAAHHHHHH!!!" screamed a seven year old Mimi, running away from her best friend's brother, while he was scaring her with a hand full of dangling worms.
Suddenly she tripped over an untied shoelace and scraped her knee.
Brady unknowingly dropped every slimy worm in his hand as he raced over to aid one of his best friends.
"Mimi, are you okay? Here take my hand and we'll go see if Shawn's mom can fix this up for you." he said trying to soothe her. He felt so bad and wanted to make sure that she was okay.
"Oh...okay. Ow! Ow! Brady it hurts!" Mimi said as she constantly sniffled.
"Here lean on me"
"Hey, look! Where are Brady and Mimi going?" asked Belle.
"Beats me." piped up Shawn.
"Ooooohh! Brady & Mimi sittin' in a tree, k. i. s. s. i. n. g.!" shouted a very messy Phillip as Belle and Shawn sat there on the bright green grass and laughed.
"Hey! Shut-up, she's hurt!" yelled Brady.
Suddenly the three trouble-makers ran over to where Mimi and Brady were and asked Mimi if she was alright.
Hope took a look at Mimi's cut and cleaned it off, then put a bright pink band-aid over it to match her hair ties.
When the kids returned outside, Mimi pushed Brady as hard she could and he fell onto the grass.
"Oww! What was that for?!" asked Brady.
"You're the reason I got hurt." Mimi simply stated.
"I'm sorry Meems. I didn't mean to hurt you" Brady sincerely apologized. After a few moments Mimi suggested a game of tag and was back to her normally joyful self.
Flashback done
"Meems! Earth to Meems. Hello?" Brady said as he waved his hand in front of Mimi's face.
"Oh, you back already?"
"Yeah. Where were you just now?" Brady asked.
"I was thinking about a time when I was like seven and you chased me with worms." Mimi and Brady laughed.
"You still mad at me for that?"
"Not if you don't make me pay you back for my drink!"
"No prob."
While Brady was driving Mimi home, he just thought of how truly amazing she was.
'Those eyes of hers, I can read them like the back of my hand. And that beautiful auburn hair. Not to mention a knockout figure. But not even how beautiful she is inside, her personality. She's so feisty and full of spirit and sweet. I am your soulmate Mimi and one of these days you will see that.' He thought, remembering the conversation they had earlier.
Chapter Two
When Mimi got home she was so tired that she decided to go straight to bed. She sat on her bed and looked at a picture of her & Brady as children. She was laughing as Brady was jokingly tugging on one of her pigtails. Suddenly she wondered what Brady was doing right at that moment. So she decided to call him.
"Hello?"
"Hey Bray."
"Umm...oh hey Meems!"
"What? Did you forget the sound of my voice or something?"
"Nope. So what are you doing?"
"Not much, but I really want to see that new movie with Paul Walker. Umm...'The Glass House!' Yeah, that's it. Did you want to go see it with me on Saturday? Unless you have plans or whatever."
"Why Mimi, are you asking me out on a date?"
"Yeah right, like that would ever happen!"
"You never know, it might."
"Somehow I highly doubt that I will ever ask YOU out on a date!" laughed Mimi.
During that hour, their conversation drifted from various topics. Such as movies and celebrities to their private lives, who they were interested in and how life was at home.
Saturday night...
The movie had just ended. "Brady, that movie was SO good! But some parts were a little scary."
"A LITTLE scary?! Geez Meems, you were holding on to me for dear life!!!"
"I was not!"
"You were too!"
ring...ring...ring...
"Hello?" Brady answered his cell phone.
"Hey Bray!" greeted Brady's perking younger sister, Belle.
"Me & Shawn were wondering, do you and Meems wanna go to Jason's party at like eight?"
"Sure, hold on. I'll run it by Mimi."
"Run what by me?" asked Meems.
"Well Belle & Shawn want to know if you & I want to go to Jason's party tonight at eight."
"Yeah, sounds fun." agreed Mimi.
"Hey, Belle. Meems and I want to go, we'll meet you there at eight. Don't go in without us. Knowing how Jason's parties are, we wouldn't be able to find you two till the next morning!"
"Yeah, no doubt, eh? So we'll meet you two there. Oh and tell Mimi to wear blue, and we'll match!"
"Umm...sure Tink. No prob. Bye."
"Bye Bray!"
"So Brady, ready to go?" The time was 7:30 pm and Mimi was really anxious to get to that party. At one time she was interested in Jason and since her break-up with Kevin, she thought that maybe she and him could hook up.
"Yeah I am, did you wanna go straight there or go to your house first?" They decided to go to Mimi's house first.
"Kay, I'll be down in 20 minutes!" shouted Mimi from her bedroom.
"Sure, I'll just watch some t.v. while I'm waiting."
Half an hour later, Mimi came down the stairs to find Brady on the couch watching a basketball game.
"Okay, I'm ready." Brady turned around to find Mimi in sparkly baby blue tank top, a denim skirt with buttons going up the sides and many purple butterflies in her curled brown hair.
"Wow, Meems. Lookin' good." Brady complimented. 'She looks better than good, absolutely amazing is more like it' Brady thought, but he wouldn't dare say that to her. To him there was no way that Mimi could even feel the same way about him that he felt about her.
"Thanks Brady! No let's go partay!"
Chapter Three
When Brady and Mimi arrived at Jason't house, there were so many people there that they had to park about a block away. When they got to his front door they were greeted by Shawn and Belle.
"Hey you two! You look awesome Meems, and you don't look too shabby yourself big bro." greeted Belle.
"Hey Tink, Shawn. Yeah thanks for the compliment there, Belle." Once they were all done exchanging greetings, they walked inside. "Whoa this place is packed!" exclaimed Mimi as she started to wander off to the dance floor. Belle and Shawn were close behind her, and Brady decided to go sit down for a bit.
"Why, hello there. Don't think I've seen you around Salem High." said a very flirtatious blonde cheerleader, Sarah, for the Salem High Panthers. She was obviously very drunk.
"That's because I don't go there, now if you'll excuse me." Brady snapped, not at all amused.
"Hey do you wanna hit the floor, I can show you all my move, dancing and otherwise." said Sarah.
"No, not really."
Mimi was grinding to the 'Number One' by Nelly, with some random guy when she turned around and saw Sarah flirting mercilessly with Brady, then her blood started to boil. Sarah was known for playing the field, sleeping around and breaking hearts.
She suddenly stopped dancing and got a very deep feeling of jealously. 'What's that tramp doing with Brady?! Why do I care? Brady's a big boy, he can take care of himself. Kay I do't want to be dancing here with just some guy, I want to be dancing here with Brady.' Mimi had never felt so strongly for someone before. She knew that this must've been the real deal. 'With Kevin it felt good to have his arms around me, but when Brady holds me I feel so safe, and so loved. But I doubt he'd ever look at me that way.' Mimi thought, she tried to shake her jealousy but found it to be almost impossible. She soon returned to dancing, the she turned around and found that she was grinding with Jason. When Mimi turned around with her back to him, he eventually slipped off, going to check out other girls at his party.
Once Brady finally got that blonde bimbo off his back, he decided to go on the dance floor. He was dancing with a girl he knew from high school, her name was Heather. Then he began to make his way around the floor a bit more and started to dance with an attractive brunette, then he realized who she was. He moved to the front of her and as soon as she realized who it was her eyes lit up. But Brady hadn't noticed at all.
"So Belle, did you wanna go upstairs?" Shawn asked jokingly.
"Shawn Douglas!" his girlfriend shrieked.
"Just kidding."
Shawn scanned around the room, until his eyes saw a seemingly very cozy Brady and Mimi.
"Hey, would you look at Meens and Brady." he said.
"Where? Oh I see them. What do you think is going on there?"
"Looks like their having fun, alot of it!"
"I know Mimi used to have a little crush on Brady when we were kids, but I didn't think that she still did. I didn't know she was over Kevin yet either." Belle said.
"Maybe she's not, maybe their just dancing."
"Yeah, but do you see the look in her eyes? And the look in his. Maybe we can play matchmaker!" Belle said excitingly.
"Belle, this isn't our business! Come on, if they want to be together they will be."
"But everyone, could always use a little push!"
"Hey Brady. Where's your friend?" Mimi said, a bit agitated.
"Who are you talking about?" he asked, confused.
"The blonde one." Mimi said simply.
"Oh, man, that girl just couldn't take no for an answer."
"Where's Jason?" Brady asked, he saw them dancing together and he also saw how happy she seemed when she realized who she was dancing with.
"I don't know." Suddenly the music changed to 'After Tonight' by Mariah Carey.
"Did you still wanna dance?" Brady asked.
"Sure."
Mimi's head rested comfortably on Brady's shoulder.
I look at you looking at me
Feels like a feeling meant to be
And as your body moves with mine
It's like I'm lifted out of time
And time again
Patiently I've waited
For this moment to arrive
Brady took in this moment as if it were the last one he would ever have.
'Mimi I know that you don't feel the same way and that's okay, but I just wanted you to know that I love you.' Brady silently told her. 'Now if only I could just say that.' he thought.
After tonight
Will you remember
How sweet and tenderly
You reached for me
And pulled me closer
After you go
Will you return to love me
After tonight begins to fade
I feel your touch caressing me
This feeling's all I'll ever need
With every kiss from your sweet lips
It's like I'm drifting out of time
Alone will tell
If you feel the way I feel
When I look in your eyes
After tonight
Will you remember
How sweet and tenderly
You reached for me
And pulled me closer
After you go
Will you return to love me
After the night becomes the day
Time
And time and time again
So patiently I've waited
For this moment to arrive
"Brady, I love you." Mimi thought. Or so she thought that she thought.
After tonight
Will you remember
How sweet and tenderly
You reached for me
And pulled me closer
After you go
Baby will you return to love me
After the night becomes the day
After tonight begins to fade
"What did you just say?"
Chapter Four
"What do you mean? I didn't say anything." 'I think.'
"Yes you did. You just said that you loved me."
"I'm sorry Brady." Mimi said with her eyes welling up with tears. Before she wasn't sure what this new emotion was, but now she was sure. She, Miriam Lockhart, was in love with Brady Black. "I know that you couldn't possibly feel the same way and I know that this must be really embarrassing and I'm really sorry." Tears now coming down her cheeks, and new ones welling in her eyes.
"Mimi, don't be sorry. And your wrong." Brady felt like this was completely surreal, he was just waiting for himself to wake up.
"Wrong about what Brady." Mimi cried, she was so embarrassed and she knew that their friendship would never be the same again. So she started to run, she just wanted to get as far away from Brady as she possibly could. She ran out of the house and hid behind the back of the house because she knew that Brady probably followed her.
"Mimi! Meems, where are you!" she heard Brady calling her. 'Oh God, here he comes. I am such a fool, how could I say that. I can't love someone who doesn't love me back!'
"Mimi! Where teh hell are you!" Brady yelled, the infamous Black temper was beginning to get the best of him. 'She wouldn't even let me finish!' he thought angrily. Then Mimi started to cry harder, knowing that Brady would soon find her.
"Why would she run from me? Can't she see how much I want her, how much I need her?!" he thought aloud.
"Damnit Mimi! Where are you?!" he yelled once more, until he heard sobs coming from the back of Jason's house. Mimi's sobs, as soon as he heard them, his heart instantly softened.
"Hey Meems, look, don't feel bad because I need you to know that..."
Brady started until he was interrupted.
"Go away Brady! I didn't mean what I said. I don't love you, well not as anything more than a friend. I was crying because...because Jason was flirting with so many girls and I couldn't take it anymore. You know how much I like him. So you can go back inside and enjoy yourself. I would much rather be alone right now. So please." Mimi was lying through her teeht, but she didn't care. He didn't love her and she just wanted things to be the way they were before she had been so stupid as to actually tell him that she loved him.
Brady's heart broke. He was just about to profess his love to her and she told him that she didn't love him. He never felt that he could feel so much pain emotionly. But evidently he could. Without saying a word he just got up and hopped into his jeep. He just wanted to go home, get out of this place and most importantly, away from her.
As she watched him leave she just started to weep, so hard that she began to find it hard to breathe. Her heart ached, it ached so badly. It ached for him.
Chapter Five
Mimi decided that she had had enough for the night and decided to walk home.
"Hey Shawn, where are Mimi and Brady?"
"Uh...I'm not sure, let's go outside and see if Brady's jeep is there, I kinda feel like going home anyway."
So they took their belongings and look outside to see that Brady's jeep was gone.
"Well I guess they left." "Hey Belle, who's that girl walking over there? She looks sorta familar." Shawn said.
"Shawn! That's Meems!"
Shawn and Belle got into Bo's truck and started off down the road after Mimi.
"Hey Meems, get in. We'll give you a ride." called Shawn.
'Oh man, here they come. These two couldn't leave me alone for half an hour could they?!' She thought. Mimi was so distraught that she didn't want to be near anyone and so she decided to keep walking.
"Meems, come on! We said we'd give you a ride!" said Belle.
"God Belle! You're so used to being the center of attention that you can't tell when someone's trying to ignore you, can you?" snapped Mimi.
"What?! Mimi where is this coming from?"
"Just like your mom the shrink, you can't keep your nose out of anyone else's business, huh?!"
"Look, you're obviously very upset and if you let me, I'll help you in anyway I can." said Belle, apalled at her best friend's attitude, but she took in the girl's tear-stained face.
Shawn finally got tired of waiting in the truck and got out to see what was going on.
"You guys, what's taking so long?" he asked.
"Nothing." Mimi said as she continued to walk
"I guess she didn't want a ride?"
"Oh Shawn, something is really wrong with her. I have never seen her so upset before"
"What'd she say?" he inquired.
On their way to Belle's house she explained what had just happened between her and her best friend.
When Brady got home he was so hurt. All he could think about was Mimi. The way she always smelt like roses, the way her auburn hair framed her face perfectly, the way her green eyes lit up when she was excited about something, the way she always made a horrible situation not so bad anymore, the way she spoke and laughed. Just Mimi. Suddenly Belle ran into the apartment.
"Hey Tink." he sighed. Then he noticed that her eyes were red and that she'd been crying.
"Tink, what's the matter?"
"Oh God, I don't know Brady. It's Mimi, she's so...upset and I have no clue why!" She cried, then she told him what Mimi had said to her earlier.
Once Mimi got home, she was so confused.
'Do I tell him, how I honestly feel? Why'd he just get up and leave like that? Maybe he was disappointed. Maybe he feels the same way. Maybe...he loves me?'
Mimi changed into her favorite pair of pj's and decided to give Belle a call.
ring . . . ring . . . ring
"Black residence, John speaking."
"Oh hi Mr. Black, it's Mimi. Can I please talk to Belle."
"Sure Mimi, hold on a second" and in 10 seconds Belle was on the phone. She couldn't wait to find out why Mimi was acting so strangely.
"Hello?"
"Hey Belle."
"Hi Meems"
"Belle I am so sorry." Mimi explained that the reason she had been acting so strangely was because she told Brady she loved him and then took it back.
"Mimi, I have been kind of thinking that maybe Brady likes you too. I mean he always talks about you, and tonight he was moping around the house. I guess because of what happened between you too."
"Belle, are you joking?"
"No! I wouldn't lie about something like that. Mimi, I'll give you a call tomorrow, okay?"
"Yeah, sure. I'll talk to you later Belle, and I'm really sorry about tonight."
"It's okay, bye Meems."
Once the girls hung up the phone, Belle turned to her brother.
"Brady what happened tonight?"
"Nothing Tink."
"Brady!"
"Nothing Belle."
"Don't lie to me."
"I'm not."
"Mimi doesn't say it's nothing." Belle said, hoping to get her brother's attention.
"Mimi? What did she tell you?"
"First, what happened between you two?"
(lots more to come!)
