the next segment of my story is ready!! WOO! sequel to Missing Piece. im not sure you have to read the first one to completely understand this, but it may help. its really straight forward. =] hope you enjoy.

Chapter One: The Leaving

Thursday – 3:33pm

"Two days and counting," sighed Mitchie Jordan, making another large green X on her calendar.

"What are you sighing about?" asked her best friend – Caitlyn Connor – flopping down onto Mitchie's bed which was piled high with clothes.

Mitchie shrieked. "CC, you know better than to scare me like that! And I'm trying to organize my clothes here!"

"What clothes?" snickered Caitlyn. "Didn't I tell you we needed to go shopping before you freaking went on tour!? You're going to look like a bum next to the boys. And I'm sorry I scared you. I forgot how fidgety you are these days."

Mitchie's heart continued to race, was she ever going to get better? "It's okay; I'm trying to not think about that, both of those things actually."

"Oh, Mo. That's why you were sighing weren't you?"

Ignoring her friend, she paused by the window and shuddered, it would never go away. Mitchie continued to wander around her room aimlessly throwing random items into a pile on her floor. Three completely bare suitcases lay open on the ground just asking her to have clothes put in them.

"Yeah, it was," she finally said, she had never been able to lie to CC. "I just don't know what to do. It's going to be so awkward being around him. After everything that's happened, I just don't know if I can handle it. Plus with all the others things, I just don't know if I can go through all of that again."

Caitlyn forced Mitchie to sit down. "Listen to me very closely. You are Mitchie Jordan. You are about to go on tour for the first time in your life. People are already in love with you and they barely even know you. You have an amazing voice. You are so strong, stronger than anyone I've ever known. You can get passed this. You have too. You are going to be ready this time, and you are going to be so great. You are going on tour, and that is final."

"And the Queen has spoken," giggled the third part of their group, Lola Tanner, upon entering the room. A small scream escaped her as she looked around the room. "Good thing I came over. It looks like your going to need some serious help."

That ended the conversation with Caitlyn. Lola scoured every part of Mitchie's room making sure she hadn't forgotten to pack anything important. Caitlyn would occasionally throw Mo worried glances which Mo replied by giving her a huge fake smile and would continue to twirl her hair. She knew that CC could see right through her, but what was the point anyway. No matter what she, Mitchie Jordan, would be leaving Passaic, New Jersey to go on tour with her ex-boyfriend and brothers.

Sounds like a real hell of a party doesn't it.

Friday – 8:19pm

"So in honor of you leaving us forever," Caitlyn started dramatically, "Lo and I decided we wanted to make you something special. Just so you won't ever forget us."

Mitchie was touched. She didn't expect them to give or make her anything. "You guys seriously think I could ever forget you? You're a bunch of crazies."

Lola rolled her dark brown eyes. "We hope you won't now that you're going to become an international pop star. Just remember all the little people when you're big and famous."

Mitchie hit her friend. "And you always call me dramatic."

Caitlyn ceased their taunts by placing a present in front of Mitchie. Mitchie's green eyes gazed over the snowflake wrapping paper. Water threatened to spill from her eyes just by looking at the present. She had become some sort of a cry baby in the past couple days.

"Open it!"

"Now!"

Obeying the commands of her friends, Mitchie tore open the paper. A rather large scrapbook fell to the ground. She picked it up tentatively. The cover consisted of millions of clippings from magazines. Words like friends, love, happiness, laughter, even consistency [Mitchie didn't know exactly what that one was for] were plastered all over the cover. The tears were coming now, and she hadn't even opened the book yet.

"Mitchie, you are not allowed to cry!" demanded Caitlyn, reaching to her own eye to brush away a loose tear.

Mitchie let out a sob. "I can't help it. I'm going to miss you guys so much."

Lola being the person that she is said, "Stop crying! I hate crying, it makes me look deathly ill. Plus, we will talk to you everyday. It will be like your still here with us."

"But what about CC, she is going to be the only one at school this year," said Mo. "I feel so bad for abandoning you."

"You can't help that. I'm a year younger than you. It was going to happen one way or another," she said.

Mitchie hung her head, allowing a couple tears to drop onto her present. "I guess so."

"Please open it now!" exclaimed Lola, excitement evident in her voice.

Mitchie flipped through the scrapbook, taking five minutes on every page to make sure she saw everything. There was a page of her. There was a page of Lola. There was a page of Caitlyn. There was even a page dedicated to her mother – this brought the water works again. There were pages for their crazy nights and dances. Prom had two whole pages for themselves. Mitchie's heart constricted when she saw Shane's face. It was one of him singing to her at Prom. She touched the picture tenderly. God, she missed him.

She forced herself to turn the page. But the next page was met graduation. Somehow, Caitlyn and Lola managed to capture their first kiss – those little sneaks. They were good. Shane looked so happy, so perfect. Forcing herself again to move away from the page, she flipped and found herself staring down at millions of pictures of Shane and her from the summer – the good part that is.

The conclusion of the book was a huge picture of the three of them – all cheesing at the camera. There were two letters on the last two pages of the book. Mitchie began to read them but was stopped by Lola.

"Read them later," she said quickly. "I don't think I could handle those right now."

Mitchie smiled widely. "This is so perfect!" she cried, wrapping her best friends into an airtight hug.

"We're glad you liked it," Caitlyn said, strained for air.

"It took for freaking ever, so you should like it," Lo said appreciatively.

"When did you start this?" asked Mitchie, flipping through the pages again.

Caitlyn and Lola glanced at each other. "I don't even remember. Not too long after Prom and graduation. We worked almost every weekend on it at the beginning of summer when you were hanging out with –"

"It's okay, you can say his name. I'm going to have to work with him for a really long time, might as well get used to using his name again," Mitchie said quickly.

A comfortable silence settled around the three. Caitlyn reached for the bowl of assorted munchies in the middle of them. Lola strummed her fingers on the floor to a tune that was rolling through her head. These were her best friends. Mitchie couldn't help but feel she was really abandoning them here. She was leaving them. How were they ever going to forgive her?

"How are you feeling?" wondered Caitlyn sincerely, taking a bite of chocolate.

Mitchie knew what she was really asking and chose to ignore it. "At the moment, I'm okay. Nervous and a little excited."

"You know what I mean," prodded Caitlyn eyeing her best friend.

She gulped. "I'm doing good, making progress."

"Progress my ass," muttered Lo.

"Since when have you become such a cynic?" asked Mitchie.

Lo rearranged herself so that she was completely facing Mitchie now. "Mo, this is the most freaked out I've ever seen you in my life. And you've been through some really tough things. But this, this is really killing you inside."

Mitchie hung her head sadly. Lola was right but she would never admit it. "No it's not. I rarely ever think of it or him anymore. It's completely escaped my mind."

"I'm not buying any of this," her blond friend said, an intense stare on her face. "But since you're leaving tomorrow I'm going to let it slide."

"So, wanna play a game?" asked Caitlyn, steering the conversation away from Mitchie's problems.

"A game, what game?" Mitchie asked eagerly, happy to have the spotlight off her.

"Hmm, let's play truth or dare," giggled CC.

"That is so middle school!" proclaimed Lola lazily.

"You know you wanna play Lo," laughed Mitchie. "You used to love this game."

"Yeah, when I was ten. Oh well, I'm going first. Mitchie, truth or dare?"

"Are we starting off with easy ones first?" she questioned.

Caitlyn nodded.

"Dare," said Mo quickly.

An evil grin formed on Lola's face. "Hmm, feeling daredevilish tonight are we?"

Mitchie nodded, already regretting her decision.

"Open your window and shout to the world 'I LOVE DIRTY UNDERWEAR!'" smirked Lola triumphantly; there was no way Mitchie would do it.

Giving Lo a hard stare, Mitchie stood up sturdily and crossed her room to the window. She hesitantly eyed the window, scared that something might jump out at her. Taking a deep breath, she pulled the top part down and yelled, "I LOVE DIRTY UNDERWEAR!"

Her friends collapsed with laughter as Mitchie sprinted back to their circle. "That was so freaking funny!" cried Lola, tears of laughter falling from her eyes.

"Your turn CC, truth or dare?" Mitchie asked.

Caitlyn thought for a moment. "Truth."

"When was the last time you shaved?"

Guiltily, CC answered, "Two weeks."

"Sick!" screamed Mitchie and Lola at the same time, backing away from their furry friend.

"Oh come on, like you've never gone that long before," CC said, defending herself. "Okay Lo, truth or dare?"

"Dare of course."

"I dare you to go two weeks without shaving," she said, a look of victory on her face.

Lola narrowed her dark eyes at Caitlyn. "Fine."

"I will be checking up on your progress," laughed Caitlyn.

She groaned and turned to Mitchie. "Round one has ended. Everyone passed. Now the questions get more personal and the dares get more intense. Mo, truth or dare?"

"Truth," she said.

"Are you still in love with Shane Gray?"

you know i love to keep you hanging?? =]

are you confused?! its okay if you are. it may have been confusing. if you have any questions just ask me! hopefully i will be able to clear up some of the craziness. so good?? i know its probably not what you expected but hey. im starting off in a different direction.

so be some lovely dearies and review and tell me what you think. =] the more reviews the faster i update. WHOOP WHOOP!