Chapter 18: Can Things Be Fixed?

Shelby took a deep breath and sat down on the couch next to Bre. She looked over and seen the face Bre was making, and she new it was better to just get this over and done with. “You hurt me.”

“I know Shel, and I'm super sorry. I didn't mean to and you know that. I could never do that shit to you intentionally.”

“Yeah, I know this. And you've never been attracted to Lulu before, so I know that it was simply the alcohol taking over.” Shelby said with a little smile appearing in the corner of her mouth.

“So you forgive me? Cause I need you Twinn. You're like the only one in the house I can talk to.”

“Of course I forgive you Twinn. You're my Twin, how could I not?” Shelby asked as the two girls laughed. They were always there for each other and they knew how to keep the other in check. When Briana was making a bad decision, Shelby would tell her. And when Shelby fucked up Briana would be the first to say so.

“Liz.” Shelby said walking over to the kitchen table where Liz was sorting her M&M's. Shelby looked at her and started to laugh, it was something that Liz did with a lot of her food.

“Yes?” Liz asked looking up at her, with a red M&M in hand.

“We need to make a pack.” Shelby replied sitting down next to her.

“About?”

“I don't mess with Izzy, or any other guy you really like, and you don't bring your sister over.” Shelby said lifting her hand up.

“Okay.” Liz said shaking Shelby's hand. They smiled at each other, and everything between them was dropped.

“Daniel.” Shelby said opening Daniel's door.

He looked up at her and was surprised that she came to see him. “Yeah?”

“Lulu is going to be in my life whether you like it or not. And you have to accept him.”

“Really?” Daniel asked with a slight smile.

“Yes. You're my best friend and I don't plan on losing you anytime soon. But at the same time I love Lulu and he's not going away.” Shelby said sitting down next to Daniel.

“Fine.” He said giving her a hug.

Shelby smiled and leaned away from Daniel. He was her best friend and she loved him for just being there when she needed someone to make her laugh or for someone to confide in.

“Buddii, can you help me with something?” Daniel asked breaking the silence.

“With what?”

“I need your help getting Lexi back.” Daniel said smiling.

Shelby walked into her room, hoping Lulu was already there. And he was. He was laying in bed, looking at the picture that Shelby threw across the room. She bit her lip and she walked over to the bed. “Hey.” She said as Lulu took her hand.

Shelby got on the bed, and sat on top of Lulu, like she used to when she wanted to talk to him face to face. “Was it just Briana?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean was Briana the only other girl that you messed with, while we were on our break.”

“Shel...”

“Who else was there?”

“Shel..”

“Just tell me. I need to know Babe.” Shelby said keeping her composure.

“Lela.”

“Anyone else?”

“Shel..”

“Just tell me.”

“Monica.” Lulu said after a few seconds of silence.

“Okay.” Shelby said turning her head away from him.

He sat up slightly, and put his hand on her face. She turned to look at him, and he pulled her into a kiss. “But you're the only one I want to be with now.”

“Can I have the ring back?”

“I thought you'd never ask.” Lulu said with a smile on his face.

Chapter 17: Words Were Said*

Lulu took a deep breath and walked into his room. Shelby was laying on the bed, playing with her phone. She looked over at Lulu and quickly turned the other way.

“I'm sorry.” He said sitting on his side of the bed.

Shelby heard him, but didn't give him her attention. “Can we just talk?” Lulu asked placing the ring on the nightstand.

“Why? There's nothing left to say Lu.”

“There is a shit load of things to be said Shelby. You know it just as well as I do.”

“I'm going home. So you can have the room to yourself.”

“I don't want you to go home. I want you to stay here with me and plan our wedding. I want you to stay here in bed with me and ignore everything that's happening around us. Because you're all I need Shel.” Lulu said looking at Shelby.

She sat up and turned to look at him. “You slept with Briana. She's like my sister. That's like me sleeping with David.”

“It was a mistake Shel. You have to believe that.”

“I'm sure it was Lu, but it's something that you can never take back.”

“I'm sorry Shel. I really fucking am.”

“I just need to go home.” Shelby said trying to stand up.

Lulu quickly grabbed her arm, and pulled her back onto the bed. “You can't leave Shel.” He said, as tears welled up in his eyes.

“Don't cry. You'll make me cry. And we don't need that. I just need time to think about this. I need to go home.” Shelby said wiping Lulu's eyes.

“I don't want you to go.” Lulu said as Shelby walked to the door.

“I love you.” Shelby mumbled walking out of the room.

“You fucking ruined everything you fucking bitch!” Daniel yelled walking into Jill's room.

“I didn't ruin shit! You're the one who told Shelby. All I did was give you the information.”

“It's your fault that Shelby is mad at me!”

“I didn't tell you to tell her in front of everyone. Hell, I didn't even tell you to tell her.”

“You told me that it would make Shelby and Lulu be over, and it would get rid of Briana. You never fucking said Shelby would kick me to the curb too!” Daniel yelled.

“Hey, that's not my problem. That's your problem.” Jill said turning her attention away from him.

“This is all your fucking fault!”

“Think about it Daniel. I knew this information and a hell of a lot more for weeks. Why didn't I tell Shelby?”

“Cause you're a fucking cunt!” Daniel yelled as Izzy walked into the room.

“Chill the fuck out!” Izzy said pushing Daniel toward the door.

“No! This bitch is the reason why I lost my best friend!” Daniel said pointing at Jill.

“No, you lost your best friend because you told her that Lulu slept with Briana.”

“I just wanted Shelby and Lulu to break up. I didn't want all this shit to happen.”

“You should have fucking thought of that before you broke her. You hurt her more then Lulu did.” Izzy said as Daniel walked out of the room.

“Shelby's leaving.” Sasha said as Keith sat next to her and Nellz.

“She is?” He asked drinking his Ginger Ale.

“She said she wanted to go home. She thinks the house is destroying her.”

“Well it kind of is. She lost her baby, Liz, Bre, Lulu, and Daniel.” Nellz added.

“Damn. And she thinks going home will fix it all?” Keith asked.

“Nope. I don't know why she wants to go home. But all I know is that she's really leaving.” Sasha said as Liz walked into the kitchen.

“I went in there and she gave me the ring to give back to Lulu.” Liz said taking a Pepsi out of the fridge. She opened the can and took the seat next to Sasha.

“Is there anything we can do?” Nellz asked as Briana walked down stairs. They all stared at her until she walked into the kitchen.

“This is all your fault.” Liz said looking Bre up and down.

“I didn't have sex with myself.” Bre said leaning against the sink.

“You fucking slept with Lulu! You fucking know how much she loves the damn fool! And yet you fucking fucked him!”

“It was a mistake!”

“You being in Shelby's life was a mistake!”

“You fucking brought Vici back! You hurt Shelby just as much as I did!”

“This is not a competition on who hurt Shelby more. The point is you both hurt her and you both have to fix it! She wants to fucking go home. And I don't think she'll come back if she leaves.” Sasha said shaking her head.

“We have to do something. We have to stop her.” Keith said.

“How the fuck are we going to do that?” Izzy asked as he and Lulu walked into the kitchen.

“The fuck if I know. You're the one who was going to marry her.” Keith said looking at Lulu.

“You're her wife.” Lulu said looking at Liz as Daniel walked into the kitchen.

“You're her Twinn.” Liz said looking at Bre.

“You're her best friend. How do we stop Shel from leaving?” Bre asked looking at Daniel.

“How the fuck am I supposed to know. She fuckin' hates me and it's all your fucking fault!” Daniel said looking from Lulu to Bre.

“If you didn't fucking get shit faced and tell her then we wouldn't be here trying to figure out what to do, you dumb bitch!” Lulu said staring at Daniel.

“You're the fucking one that went behind her back and slept with someone who was like her sister. I just had the fucking balls to tell her. Cause we all fucking know you wouldn't have done it! You're a fucking coward!” Daniel yelled stepping toward Lulu.

“I'm a fucking coward? Really? You're the one who just let his girlfriend walk out of his life because he couldn't make a commitment to her. He couldn't stand up to the plate and say you wants to be with her for the rest of your life.”

“Lexi deserves more then I can give her. I let her go because I know that I can't give her everything she needs. And you fucking leave Shelby hanging on, knowing that you can't make her happy. You take any chance to sleep with someone else! She deserves way fucking better than you!” Daniel yelled.

“I fucking love Shelby and I would do anything to get her back. I never cheated on her and I never would. She makes my day better just by looking at me. And I can't imagine my life without her. that’s called love Daniel, not like you'd know what that is.” Lulu said as Shelby coughed behind him. “How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough.” Shelby said smiling.

He couldn't help but smile too. From the moment that they met, there was always something special about them. There was a spark that would eventually ignite their flame. A smile that would turn into a lifetime of happiness. Shelby and Lulu might not always make the right choices, they might not always do the right thing. But at the end of the day, they were there for each other, and could count on one another.

“So does this mean you're staying?” Liz asked smiling. It was a question they all wanted to know the answer to. Shelby leaving could easily break them apart.

Chapter 16: Blows Hit Home*

Sasha walked by the living room on her way to get her morning orange juice. She seen someone laying on the couch. As she got closer she noticed it was Lulu. After getting her OJ, Sasha walked upstairs into Shelby's room.

Shelby was sitting on the bed, eyes wide, knees up to her face. Her eye liner was streaming down her face, and her cheeks were red. It was clear that she didn't get any sleep last night.

Sasha walked over to Shelby and sat down next to her. She put her arm around her and pulled Shelby's face onto her body. “What's wrong Babez?”

“He slept with Bre. With my Twinn.” Shelby looked up at Sasha and the tears slowly fell onto her shirt.

“I heard. I'm so sorry Shibbz.”

“I want to go home.” Shelby said after a few moments of silence.

“What do you mean Shibbz?”

“I mean I don't want to be in this house. This house is destroying my life. I want to go back to when shit wasn't going down between my best friends and my boyfriend.”

“So you think going back home will fix all this?”

“Nope. I don't think it will. But I know that it will stop me from making a mistake. I lost Liz, Bre, and Lulu. All in a matter of 3 days. I can't take losing someone else.” Shelby said pushing away from Sasha. It's what Shelby did best. She pushed people away before they got too close.

“Shibbz, things can only get better.” Sasha said standing up.

Shelby looked at Sasha as she walked to the door. “At this point, nothing is forever.”

Denny looked at the clock. 10:56 am. He shook his head and walked down stairs. Now was the best time to talk to Lulu. Den see's Lulu sitting on the couch, trying to play GTA. He takes a seat next to him and begins to speak. “Why did you ask Shelby to marry you? Is it because you thought she wouldn't leave you once she found out? Is it because you knew she'd find out and the only way to make sure that she stayed with you is because she has a ring on her finger? Cause that shit doesn't prove anything.”

“I asked Shelby to marry me because I want to be with her. Sure I didn't need to prove it with a ring but Shelby is worth it!” Lulu said pausing his game.

“You can claim that shit all you want. I know it was a desperate way to try and fix your mistakes.” Denny said looking at Lulu, as if he was worthless.

“Listen. Whether you want to admit it or not, your cousin means a lot to me, and I want to spend the rest of my life with her. And if you don't fucking like it that’s too fucking bad.”

“Shelby doesn't mean enough to you. If she did you wouldn't have fucked Briana, or Lela. You're just a fucking selfish bastard.” Denny said walking up to the guest room.

There was a knock at Shelby's door and Liz walked in. Shelby looked up and seen her. She looked down and acted like Liz wasn't even there.

“I know that I'm probably the last person you want to see right now and I get that. But I had to come here and make sure you're okay.” Liz said standing in the doorway.

“I forgive you.” Shelby mumbled, still not looking at Liz.

Liz smiles and sits down next to Shelby. She thinks for a second and goes against her better judgment, and hugs Shelby. “I love you Shibbz.”

Liz got up and walked to the door. She turned the knob and was about to open the door when Shelby spoke, “Can you do me a favor?” Liz walked over to Shelby and she handed her the ring. “Can you give it to Lulu?” Shelby looked up at her and her eyes pleded her case.

Liz nodded and walked out of the room. Shelby got up and walked over to her dresser. She seen a picture of Lulu and her. She picked it up, took a deep breath, and threw it across the room; tears streaming down her face.

Liz walked on to the back porch, knowing that that was where Lulu would be. She seen him on the steps and sat down next to him. “You really messed up.” Liz said placing the ring in his hand.

Lulu looked down at it and closed his hand. He looked up at Liz, tears rolling down his cheeks.

It was the first time Liz had ever seen him cry. The first time that she ever seen him show any sign of a great loss. Liz knew that Lulu loved Shibbii. She knew it for years. There was never a doubt in her mind that they would be together.

But she knew that Shelby was hurt by what Lulu did. They may not have been together, but everyone knew that they were spoken for.

These tears proved that he really did care about Shelby. It showed that he knew he made a mistake. He might have just lost Shelby...

Daniel walked into Shelby's room, in an attempt to see if she was okay. He looks around the room and sees Shelby on the floor on the other side of the bed. He walks over and sees that she's packing. “Buddii, what are you doing?” He asked taking the shirt out of her hand.

“I'm leaving.”

“Why?”

“There's no one here that I can trust anymore Daniel.”

“You can trust me Buddii.”

“Can I Daniel?”

“Yeah, you can always trust me.”

“Then why did you have to stand there in front of everyone and tell them that the love of my life slept with my Twinn?” Shelby asked looking up at him.

“You had to know.”

“You couldn't have pulled me aside and told me what you found out? You had to say it in front of the entire house?”

“I had to tell you Buddii. I was just looking out for you.”

“No you weren't Daniel. You never liked Lulu. You purposely told everyone that just to get rid of him. Congrats Daniel, it worked. You got your wish. Lulu's gone.” Shelby paused and took a deep breath. “But you lost your Buddii. Was it really worth it Daniel?”

Chapter 15: Exposed*

Shelby sat in the hammock and looked across the roof. Denny came and sat down next to her. “I've missed you.” Shelby said as he put his arm around her.

“Yeah, I've missed you too.”

“I can't believe I'm getting married.” Shelby said with a smile on her face.

“Yeah, my little cousin is getting married and I don't even have a girlfriend.” They laughed.

“I'm kind of excited. The feeling of waking up next to Lulu is the best. I hope one day you get to experience it for yourself.”

“Doesn't it scare you that you've never seen a marriage work?”

“That just motivates me ever more to make it work. To prove to people that a marriage can work.” Shelby said looking at Denny.

“Very true. So who are you gonna invite from the fam?”

“Mom, dad, Grace, Andrew, Uncle Denny, Aunt Lucy, Nana, Patty and Mark, Dot and Bob. Uncle Bobby, Nicole, Ricky, and Carolyn. Umm...Uncle Bill and Charles. Uncle Lloyd, Nikki and Nialya. And I think that covers it.”

“Oh. You talk to Lulu about who from his family is invited?”

“Nope. But I assume it'll be Nana, Papa, Dawn, Mikie, Nicole, the kids, Arleen, Kathy, Rose, Harry and Grace.”

“What about Vici and Lisa?”

“What about them? They're not coming to MY wedding.”

“But it's Lulu's wedding too.”

“I don't give two fucks. It's supposed to be the best day of my life and those bitches are not going to ruin my fucking day.” Shelby said standing up.

“They're Lulu's family Shelby. It's not all about you.”

“Watch! They will not be stepping foot into that church as long as I'm there. They can send a gift to Lulu is they want. But they will not be invited. Point blank. End of story.” Shelby said sitting on the ground.

“I can't believe you and Shibbz are gonna get married.” Keith said passing the blunt to Izzy.

“Yo, me either.” Izzy said putting it to his lips.

“Honestly; I can't either.” Lulu said laying back on the bed.

“Have you and Shibbz started planing yet?” Keith asked.

“Nah. We haven't done anything but tell people.”

“Damn, yall are slacking.” Izzy said laughing.

“Why'd you ask her?” Keith asked looking at him.

“Cause I love her.”

“Nah, really. Why?”

“Cause I love her.”

“You have for years, what changed now?” Izzy asked passing him the blunt.

“I don't want to see her with anyone else. So I grew some balls and asked her something that will change both our lives forever.” Lulu said smoking.

“What about that Denny guy? What's his story?” Izzy asked.

“I don't know. I've met him a few times.”

“Does he like you?”

Lulu laughed before he answered. “No.”

“Why?” Keith asked as Lulu passed him the blunt.

“He never liked me. Always said that all I was gonna do was hurt Shelby and blah blah bullshit.”

“Damn.” Keith said laughing.

“And he seen me at the bar a few weeks back.”

“Wait...2 weeks ago? When you were....?” Keith asked.

“Yup.”

“What happened 2 weeks ago?” Izzy asked, lost and confused.

“Lulu hooked up with Lela.” Keith said with a smile on his face.

“Your ex Lela?” Izzy asked with wide eyes.

“Yup.” Lulu said laughing.

“Does Shibb know?”

“Hell no! And she's not gonna find out.” Lulu said looking from Keith to Izzy.

“And then I was like, I was like. Ahh, shit. I forgot what I said after that.” Daniel said laughing. Him, Mike, Drew and Ace started drinking early. It was only 8:38 pm.

“You fucking spazz.” Ace said laughing.

“No. No. No. I know what I want to say. I just..i just. Ahh fuck it.” Daniel said falling on to the floor. Drew and Ace laughed, as Mike tried to help him up.

“I'll go get Shelby.” Bre said getting up. She walked up to the roof and walked over to Shelby. “Daniel is falling.” She said as Shelby got up.

She looked at Denny and he followed as Shelby and Bre walked downstairs. They got to the second floor where they were met by Lulu, Izzy and Keith. They all walked downstairs and Mike and Daniel were laying on the floor, trying to sing Party In The USA.

“Buddii.” Shelby said walking over to him.

Daniel looks at her and smiles. He looks around the room and sees Lulu looking at him. Daniel's smile grew larger and he stood up. “Buddii, have you heard about Lulu?”

“What about Lulu, Daniel?” Shelby asked looking back at Lu.

“Him and your Twinn.”

“What about him and my Twinn Daniel?” Shelby asked angerly.

“They hooked up. Didn't he tell you?” Daniel asked laughing.

“They wouldn't do that Daniel.”

“But Shelby, they did. They fucked. Your Twinn fucked the man you plan on marring.” Daniel said as Shelby looked from Bre to Lulu. She didn't know what to believe. They weren't denying it, and Daniel told the truth when he was drunk. Bre looked at Shelby and there were tears running down her cheeks, a sign that what Daniel was saying was true.

She couldn't stay down here any longer. She needed to get away before she started crying. It was only a matter of time until she started.

Shelby ran up to her room, not looking back at them. Lulu sees her run and walks over to Daniel. “You stupid fucking bitch!” He yelled punching Daniel in the face, sending him to the ground, blacking out.

“Shel! Let me explain!” Bre said following Shelby upstairs.

Shelby locked the door and put her back against it. She slowly slid down the door as the tears started rolling down her cheeks.

“It was a mistake. A huge fucking mistake. I didn't mean for it to happen. I didn't mean for you to find out.” Bre said standing outside the door.

Shelby put her knees up to her face, raping her arms around herself.

“It was the night that Dan broke up with me. The night where we were supposed to go out to dinner and he was supposed to propose to me. But instead he broke up with me. So I went to the bar. I went to go drinking. And that’s when I met Lulu there. It was a mistake Shelby, and I'm soooooo fucking sorry!”

Shelby couldn't look at Briana. She couldn't understand why Bre would sleep with Lulu. All the guys in the world and she picks Lulu. Briana knew how much Lulu meant to Shelby. She knew how much Shelby loved him.

“How could you fucking do that to her?” Izzy yelled looking at Lulu.

“It was a fucking mistake. It's not like I went up to Briana and was like, 'Lets fuck cause I want to hurt Shelby!' I was drunk!”

“You know how much she fucking loves you! How she would do practically anything for you!”

“Shelby and I weren't even together!”

“You and fucking Shelby are never fucking together. You weren't together when you asked her to marry you!”

“I didn't even know it was Bre til the next morning. I was fucking shit faced. I was drinking and smoking and I didn't care what happened to me. But you have to know that I do love Shelby. That I do want to spend the rest of my life with her. I would never do anything to intentionally hurt her!” Lulu said looking at Izzy.

“And yet you still hook up with Lela and Bre.” Izzy said walking away.

Chapter 14: And there was 16*

The next morning, Kassy and Lexi left early. They didn't want to have to say goodbye to everyone, they didn't want to deal with them.

There was a knock on the door at 10:27 and Denny walked in. He looked around and seen Daniel sitting in the living room alone, and Keith was in the kitchen. Izzy walked out of the bathroom and seen him standing in the doorway.

“Hi?” Izzy asked, confused of who he was.

“Shelby here?” He asked looking around the house.

“Yeah, I'll go get her.” Izzy said rushing up stairs. He knocked on Shelby and Lulu's door and quickly walked in, shutting the door behind him.

Shelby and Lulu were laying there, naked and under the covers. They looked over at Izzy and Shelby pulled the covers over her chest. “What the hell are you doing here?” She asked sitting up.

“There's this big guy downstairs looking for Shibbz.”

“Who?” Lulu asked getting out of bed.

“Dude!” Izzy said turning around.

“Who?” Lulu asked again putting on shorts.

“The fuck if I know. I just know that he's looking for Shibbz.” Izzy said as Shelby pulled on shorts and a beata.

Shelby walked out of the room and toward the stairs, Lulu and Izzy quickly behind. She turned the corner and seen Denny standing in the living room. “Denny!” She yelled running to hug him.

“Hey cuzzo.” Denny said giving her a smile. Shelby stepped back and looked at him.

“You look good.” She replied. Shelby hadn't seen Denny in almost 6 months, and a lot can change in 6 months.

“Thanks. So I head you're getting married. I had to see it on your mom's facebook. Couldn't even pick up a phone and call me?” Denny asked as Lulu stood next to Shelby. He took her hand and looked at Denny, uneasy.

“Sorry. We didn't really tell anyone. But this is him. Lulu, this is my cousin Denny. Denny this is my Fiance Lulu.” Shelby said with a smile on her face.

“Hi.” Denny said looking at Lulu. He remembered the first time he had met Lulu. It was one of Shelby's birthday parties, the year that Denny kind of fell out of the picture. Shelby was busy playing Monopoly with Vici, Liz, Lulu, Drew, and Deanna. She tried her best to impress Lulu, but Denny could see that he just seen her as a little cousin. So what changed now? Why was Lulu into Shelby now? She didn't really change.

Denny remember Dot Day. A day when him, his dad, and mom would all go over Shelby's house and watch the parade outside. Lulu had just got back from Puerto Rico and he came over to celebrate with Shelby, Liz and Vici. Shelby was all over him, and everyone could tell there was something between them. He just wouldn't admit it.

The only problem is the common factor that was in every time that Shelby, Lulu and Denny were together. Shel was always about Lulu, and Denny always got pushed to the sideline. But he was determined to not let that happen now. He was going to get to the bottom of why Lulu really wanted Shelby to marry him. After all, that is what he was called here to do...

“She left?” Mike asked Daniel shutting the door behind himself after he stepped into Daniel's room.

“Yup. She was gone when I woke up.” Daniel replied looking around the empty room.

“Damn.”

“It's whatever.”

“So what's going on with you and Jill?” Mike asked sitting in the chair.

“Nothing. She's clingy. And I don't do good with clingy.”

“Looking for someone else?”

“I was kinda thinking about Shelby.”
“What?” Mike asked falling out of the chair.

“I don't want her with Lulu. So best way to get her away from him is by getting her for myself.”

“Then what Daniel? You're not the commitment type and she is. You're just going to break her heart. And then not only do you lose the relationship, but you lose the friendship too. And aside from me, she's really the only other person you can trust.”

“True. But I need a girl like Shelby. One that can deal with me, one that can actually love me no matter what fucked up shit I do.”

“You're talking about a friendship bro.”

“I already have the friendship—Just add sex and it's a relationship.”

“And anyways her and Lulu are getting married. How the fuck are you gonna get her?”

“Fuck. I forgot about that stupid marriage shit.” Daniel said as Jill walked in the room.

“I heard you want Lulu out of the picture.” She said sitting at the end of the bed.

“Yeah.” Daniel replied giving her a skeptical look.

“I know some stuff that will not only break Shelby and Lulu, but also make you her only real friend right now.” Jill said with a devilish smile.

“Do tell.” Daniel said matching her smile.

Bre looked over and seen Ace laying in bed. Drew was in the other bed and he was staring at her. “Yup. I was in here all night.” He said with a laugh.

Bre looked over at Ace and he wasn't wearing a shirt. She looked down and neither was she. Did they do what she thinks they did? Oh shit.

“Did we...?” She asked looking at Drew.

“Yup.”

“Oh shit.” She reached for her shirt, threw it on and picked up the rest of her clothes. She had to take a shower. She had to get out of the room. She needed safety, someone the tell her that what she did wasn't as bad as she may think it was.

Chapter 13: Where's our Bond?*

Once Sasha, Chanel, Michael and Norland got back home, Shelby sent out a mass text that got to everyone in the house. It said to meet in the living room; there would be a family meeting. Reluctantly everyone stopped what they were doing and went into the living room. Everyone sat down, looking around the room at who would start talking first.

“So you're all probably wondering why I sent you that text. Why I called this “Family Meeting”.” Shelby said using air quotes.

“Duh.” Kassy said annoyed.

“We have problems--”

“You just now figuring that out Shelby?” Bre asked interrupting her.

“Okay, maybe you should let me finish before you jump down my throat. Anyways, we have problems with the people who are supposed to be our best friends. People who we can talk to and are supposed to be there for each other. And I think that we need to deal with them if we really want to live together.”

“My mom's coming to get me and Kassandra in the morning.” Lexi said as Daniel stood up.

“What?” He asked, not sure how to take the news.

“We don't want to live here. It was a good idea, but completely unrealistic.” Kassy said from in between Liz and Bre.

“But Babe.” Daniel said looking at Lexi.

“Don't but Babe me Daniel. We've been together for 8 years. 8 fucking years. And you still haven't made a commitment to me. You still haven't asked me to marry you. While Shelby and Lulu aren't even together and they're getting married. What kind of fucked up shit is that Daniel? Do you not want to be with me?” Lexi asked sitting up.

“Yeah I want to be with you, but you know I can't make that type of commitment. I'm not the commitment type and you know that.”

“Well I'm done waiting around for you to change. I don't want to be your girlfriend for the rest of my life. I want to be your wife. And if you can't do that, then I'll find someone who does want to get married. Someone who wants to start a family.” Lexi said standing up. She looked at Daniel and quietly walked up to Kassy's room, Kassy following behind.

“Well that's one problem.” Bre said laughing.

“Shut up.” Daniel said sitting back down.

“You're not going to go after her?” Sasha asked, with a confused look on her face.

“And say what? I don't plan on getting married and she knew that when we got into it. I'm not going to change because she wants me to.” Daniel said in his 'I don't give a fuck' attitude.

“Wow.” Sasha said taking Michael's hand.

“What did you expect to get fixed here Shibb?” Keith asked as all eyes went on Shelby.

“I don't know. I just know that the tension in this house is not good, and I know that everyone here, when pushed far enough, will snap.”

“Okay, then why don't we deal with your problems. Because we all know that this is what it's really about. You only called us here to show that we'll listen to you, and to act like a family. Newsflash, we're not a family. The only real family here is me, Lulu, Liz, and Ace.” Drew said standing up.

“Nah, Shibbz has a point. If we're living together we gotta act like we care about each other. And whether your bitch ass admits it or not, you care about Shibb.” Keith said annoyed.

“No the fuck I don't.”

“Yes you fucking do! So shut the fuck up and let her finish.” Keith said as Shelby sent a smile his way.

“Thanks. I just know that I don't like fighting with you guys.”

“Then accept my apology Wife! I can't stand fighting with you!” Liz said standing up.

“I don't know if I can Liz, and I told you that.”

“Why? I made that choice out of fucking anger and you know that!”

“What if I was to bring Heather here? You'd be fucking pissed too!”

“But I'd get over it! You need to get over the fact that I had Vici come over!”

“That's only because you weren't as close to her as I was to your sister! We were legit inseparable and then all of a sudden she was gone. That's like all of a sudden all the weed in the world is gone. You'd be fucking broken too.”

“But you got over it! You moved on Shibb, we all seen it. We were all there when you needed us.”

“No the fuck you guys weren't. Just because you sat with me and let me cry on your shoulder does not mean you were there. Where were you when I broke down before I fell asleep? Where where you when I sat there at my computer bawling my fucking eyes out erasing the pictures? Where were you when I sat in my bed alone reading the stories, reliving the memories? You weren't fucking there. And for you to claim that you were is bullshit!” Shelby yelled, taking deep breathes, trying not to cry.

It was true. They were her best friends. But at the end of the day Shelby kept them at a distance, kept them close even to be there, but far enough to be gone. She really had no one to blame but herself. If she had just told them what she was going through, all the hours she spent crying, then maybe they could have been there. But Shelby wasn't good at keeping people close. She wasn't good at letting people know her weaknesses, letting them know what was wrong. And that was her fault. Not theirs.

“You never told me that...” Liz said walking toward Shelby.

“Or me.” Daniel mentioned staring at Shibb.

“I don't think she told anyone.” Bre mumbled, putting her feet up.

“Why should I tell you? Once she was gone you all thought I was better off. But none of you knew how much that fucking hurt me.” Shelby took a deep breath and everyone listened, they all knew she was about to pour her heart out. “I knew that I was slowly being replaced. It was only a matter of time. People would joke about it but none of them ever knew how much of an impact their words had. And then you became friends with her. They all did.” Shelby stopped an looked at Liz. “You, and Brittany and Amanda. You all liked her. And that's when I knew that my days were numbered. Slowly, she became more interested in texting Lexi when we were hanging out and then she was spending her holiday's with her. Your mother would drive an hour to Burlington, but not 20 minutes to Dorchester. She was pushing me away too. I was no longer wanted. They just used the whole Lulu bullshit as an excuse to ignore the real problem. Once Vici came back from Europe, I was not longer her best friend.” Shelby sat down and Lulu pulled her close.

It was the first time she opened up. It was the first time she actually talked about the issues that were bothering her for years. It was hard, and everyone knew it. They didn't know what to say to Shelby. How could they make her feel better? They all denied the fact that there was a problem to begin with. They all told her she was better off, but none of them really asked how Shelby felt through it all. No one asked what was going through her head. And if they did, they settled for her, “I don't know.”

“You okay?” Lulu asked once he and Shelby reached their room.

“Not really. But I'll get through it.” Shelby replied sitting on the bed.

“I don't want you to have to go through it by yourself. I want to be there for you.” Lulu said sitting down next to Shelby. He took her hand and looked her in the eyes.

“I have to get through it alone, that's how I work.”

“We're getting married. Your problems are mine.”

Shelby waited a few minutes before she spoke again. “I don't know how I'm going to forgive Liz.”

“You have to think about it. Are you really going to let Vici ruin another one of your friendships?”

Shelby never thought of it like that. She just seen it as Liz trying to get back at her. Forgiving Liz is what was best; for Shelby, Liz and everyone else in the house. She looked at Lulu and smiled. “I love you.” She said as she tickled him.

“I love you more.” Lulu said kissing Shelby, getting her to stop.

Shelby pushed Lulu to lay down, and got on top of him. He smiled and she undid his belt buckle, as he took off his shirt. She looked up and winked at him as he leaned in to kiss her. She leaned back and he took off her shirt, followed by her pants.

“I love youuuuu.” Shelby said as he started to kiss her neck. She laid back as he went down her body. She laughed as he took off the rest of her clothes, and rapped her legs around his neck. She put her hand on his head and started to moan.

“You okay?” Bre asked looking at Daniel. Everyone left the living room and it was just them sitting there.

“Yeah, I'm fine.”

“You don't look fine.”

“I am.”

“I know for a fact that you're not.” Bre stopped for a second, waiting for Daniel to give her his full attention. Once he looked at her she continued. “You just lost your girlfriend, and you're no longer going to be the only man in Shelby's life. It's understandable for you to not be okay.”

“I'm fine.” He stood up and looked at her.

“Okay. Deny it all you want.” Bre said as Ace walked into the living room.

“He bothering you?” He asked looking at Bre.

“Nope. I was just going to go in the hot tub.”

“Mind if I join?” Ace asked with a smile.

“Of course not.” Bre smiled and walked onto the back porch. The breeze was cold and she was suddenly rethinking the idea.

“You got a suit?”

“Nope, good thing I wear a bra.” Bre said laughing. She took off her shirt and skirt and quickly got into the hot tub.

“Iight.” Ace said taking off his shirt to reveal his muscles and tattoo's. Bre gasped a little and smiled. He kicked off his sneakers and let his pants fall. He got in across from Bre and she bit her lip slightly. “You're real cute.” Ace said with a smile as Bre blushed.

“Thanks.” She replied as he crawled toward her. He put his hands on the edge of the hot tub on both of her sides. He leaned in and kissed her, as the water started to get hotter.

Chapter 12: Apology*

Shelby walked into the living room where Lulu was playing Grand Theft Auto, with Drew, Ace, Keith, Ruga and Izzy sitting around him, watching and rapping. It was like old times. When they would sit in Lulu's room and they'd just chill, smoke and drink. She walked over to Ruga and slapped him across the face.

“Wooooooah!” Drew said standing up.

“What was that for?” Ruga asked standing up and looking Shelby in the eyes.

“Telling Keith that we hooked up. And I hooked up with Andy. Oh and Ace. And lets not mention Izzy.”

“What?” Lulu asked pausing the game and turning to look at Shelby and Ruga.

“I didn't hook up with any of them, and Ruga knows that!”

“What Shibbz? Don't like people thinking you did something that you didn't?”

“I don't like the fact that you're walking around telling people that I fucked with people when I didn't!”

“Just trying to give you a little cred.”

“I don't need your cred. I've had sex before, and I am plenty fun.”

“Who have you had sex with, since you just told us who you haven't had sex with.” Ace asked with a sly smile.

“How the fuck is that any of your business? I don't kiss and tell.”

“Oh bullshit. We all know you've at least told Liz and Bre.” Drew said.

“Maybe. Maybe not. I can keep a secret.”

“You're a girl. You really can't.”

“My fiance's sex life is none of your god damn business.” Lulu said as Shelby sat down in the beanbag with him. Shelby looked at Drew and stuck her tongue out at him.

Lulu looked at Shelby and continued playing his game. But he couldn't help but wonder if she did have sex with someone else. What if Lulu wasn't the only one she's been with. They never really talked about it...should they?

“You ready to go out for dinner?” Sasha asked Michael, as she finished putting on her shoe.

“Yeah, whatever.” He said picking up a jacket.

“What's the matter?”

“Nothing.”

“Do you not want to go out? I can tell Chanel if you don't wanna go.”

“No. I'm hungry. Lets go.”

“Okay.” Sasha said shutting the door. He'd been acting weird for the past few days. Maybe something was wrong.

It was probably nothing though, Sasha was most likely over reacting.

The house was quiet. Not a single person said anything. There was a low sound coming from the TV, as Lulu drove his car away from the cops. The boys had stopped rapping, even they were left speechless. Shelby was laying on the roof, staring up at the stars, alone. Sasha, Chanel, Michael and Norland left on their double dinner date. Daniel was up in his room with Mike, smoking in silence. Kassy, Jill, Bre and Lexi were in the hot tub on the back porch. Liz was on the couch, on her phone. She knew that she had to talk to Shelby, that she had to make things right with her. It was less than 24 hours, but she needed her best friend back.

“You guys know where Shelby is?” Liz asked, standing up.

“The roof.” Lulu replied, not looking away from the TV.

Liz left the room and walked up to the roof. She seen Shelby and laid down next to her. “I'm sorry.”

“You should be. You really hurt me Liz. Way more than I could ever hurt you.”

“You ruined my chances of ever being with Izzy.”

“You fucking brought her here. That’s worst then me kissing Izzy—way worst.”

“We're going to agree to disagree.”

“No. What you did was low. You're the one who sat with me in my bedroom as 15 year old me cried over losing her best friend. You were there to wipe away my tears, you were the one who tried to bring us back together; knowing that it would never happen. You were there with me the night we got into the fight, the night when it all happened. And yet you still brought her here knowing how I felt about her, knowing how much it hurt me to lose her.”

“I didn't come here to argue with you.”

“No, you have to know why I attacked you, and why I hate you right now.”

“I know you don't mean that.” Liz said as Shelby stood up.

“I do Liz. Saying sorry isn't going to fix this one...I don't know if it can be fixed right now. I really don't.” Shelby said walking downstairs, leaving Liz alone. She sat there for a few minutes. She didn't know what to do now...was there anyone she could trust? Anyone she could talk to...?

Shelby walked downstairs, and decided to just go into her room. She didn't want to bother Lulu while he played his game, he hated it whether he'd admit it or not. She opened the door slowly, expecting to see someone sitting there. Someone who would tell her that everything would be okay. That she'd find it in her heart to forgive Liz. That she's be able to forgive Andy, after all he didn't mean for her to fall down the stairs. For her to forgive Ruga, all he was doing was trying to make it seam like she was more experienced then she was.

The only people she was ever with were Lulu and John. She wasn't even sure if any of them know about John; not even Bre and Liz. But how was that any of their business? Shelby didn't question who they all slept with, why should they question her?

Shelby sat on the bed and looked up at the ceiling. She looked around the room and her eyes caught a picture she had placed on the dresser yesterday. It was a picture of Shelby, Lulu, Liz, Sasha, Drew, Keith and Chanel at Lulu's house. It was one of their sleepover and everyone was in their P.J's except the boys. They all had smiles on their faces and were clearly happy. The smiles weren't fake, the people weren't either.

What happened to that? What happened to the time when they all got together and they just had fun? Sure there was always liquor involved, but nothing like what had happened in the past two days. Things were getting out of control, just a little too crazy.

Shelby wanted to go back to that time. Go back to the days when they were together and nothing bad happened. The worst that ever happened was a little argument with Lulu and Andy after they got too drunk. They always made up.

Now you have Liz vs Shelby. Daniel vs Lulu. And there were plenty of unsaid problems. No one was safe; no one was fine with everyone in the house. Everyone had a problem with someone, and the only way that they would all live in the same house with each other is if these problems were dealt with. And Shelby was going to make sure that happened.