This chapter is another long one sorry. And btw I Drew this background myself. I'm really proud of it. If you are on an iPad or something and you can't see the full picture check it out on my Instagram. @Morpheusblueaj
** Mia's POV **
I screamed. There standing at the door was the man with the piercings. Was I in another coma? No I wasn't. He didn't do anything he just stood there staring at me. Behind him was his black bus.
"You've been thinkin about me haven't you?" He sayed in a mean voice. I started to shut the door. When it was about to shut, his hand burst through the crack. He walked in. I backed up.
"Please don't take me away!" He clutched my wrist with his freezing cold hand and pulled me out to the bus.
"No! Please! Get away from me!" I tried to run but he brought me up to his chest. His arms were around my waist and he was holding me. I couldn't move. He picked me up, and threw me into the back of the bus. I hit my head but I was okay. I ran to the door but he slammed it. The windows were covered in bars. I looked out them and saw James walk out his door. I banged on the windows. I yelled his name. We started to drive away.

** James's POV **
"James can you take out the trash?"
"Sure" I picked up the garbage bag and opened the door. I was immediately confused. There was a big black bus in front of Mia's house. There were bars covering the windows. There was something in the windows. I looked closer. I gasped. It was Mia! She was banging on the windows and screaming. I dropped the garbage bag and ran to the bus. It was starting to drive away. I ran faster. Who were these people. They drove way too fast. I ran as fast as I could back to my car. I turned the engine on and drove after her. They were stopped at a red light. I was behind them. They turned right and I followed. 45 minutes later, we were in a dark rainy part of the city. I didn't recognize any of my surroundings. I saw a big grey building. The bus parked and I parked next to it. I stepped out of the car waiting for the driver to come out. The door opened. A tall man came out with his arms folded. When I looked at his face I knew exactly who this was. He had piercings all over his face. This was the man with the piercings. This was the prison where they had kept Mia. I ran up I him.
"Umm dude can I have Mia back?"
"No you can't"
"You better let her go right now!"
"No"
"Why are you taking her?"
"James, this is a prison for people that are in comas"
"Mia's not in a coma though"
"I know but I just loved having her here in the prison"
"You're sick"
"Shut up and go away"
"No give her to me right now or I'm calling the police" he groaned.
"Ugh why do you have to be so complicated. I just want her for a couple years is all"
"A couple years!?!?"
"Yes. Now go away" I looked at Mia crying through the window. I left. I got in my car and drove away. Mia saw me leave and started bawling. I shed a couple tears too. I wasn't really leaving her. I was going outside the place to call the police.
"Hello. What's you emergency?"
"Yeah so I saw this black bus parked at my girlfriends house and in the bus she was locked up there and I followed them and this guy with tons of piercings is trying to keep her for 2 years. Please help her!"
"Okay we will track your location from you phone" minutes later the police showed up. There were at least 4 cars. They all ran to the bus. The man with the piercings stepped out with his hands up. I looked through the dusty window of the bus. I couldn't see Mia. They put the man with the piercings in handcuffs and led him to the police car. A man forced open the door to the back of the bus. I looked in. Mia was laying on the ground with no clothes. Oh no he already did it to her. This was real. Her dreams came to life. How did this happen? I ran up to her.
"Mia?" She had bruises and scars all over her. One of the men who helped her out was looking at me funny.
"Hey aren't you that kid that was on the news?"
"Yes"
"Aw I knew I recognized you!" Why was he acting all happy and smiling. I was frowning the whole time. The ambulance picked her up. Again. This was now the third time I've seen her in an ambulance and if I see her in an ambulance one more time I will die. After a couple hours of being in the waiting room she walked out with crutches. Why was this all happening to her? Her whole body was covered in gashes, bruises, and scars. I ran to her.
"Mia!"
"Hi James..." she didn't seem happy.
"I'm so sorry"
"Just be quiet" she started to leave.
"Mia? You know you can't drive right?"
"I know just take me home"
"Okay" I drove her home. The whole car ride was silent. I felt horrible but I didn't know why she was mad at me. I helped her out of the car and she didn't speak. She shut the door on me. I didn't have the time to talk to her. I had to go to college tomorrow.

** Mia's POV **
I shut the door and went to my bed. I was so mad at James right now. First he doesn't let me he see him for the last days I have with him, then when I was stuck in that bus I saw him leave and because he left, the man with the piercings abused me again, and lastly, he doesn't even know what he did. I wanted to punch him right now. I watched Netflix in my room and finally fell asleep. I woke up and went straight to the window. I looked outside and I saw James with his bags. He hugged Sarah and his mom and got in the car with Dustin. Wait! I wanted to say goodbye! I tried to run but the pain was killing me. I got my crutches and tried to get over there quickly. I opened the door and stood on the porch. His car was gone. Why was I mad at him? Now I'm not going to see him for a few weeks. What was I going to do? Sarah spotted me and walked over.
"Hey Mia in sorry about what happened..."
"It's okay. I just wanted to say goodbye to James"
"I thought you weren't talking to him?"
"I'm not but I at least wanted to say goodbye to him. I'm gonna miss him"
"Yep" we talked.
** James's POV **
It's been a week since I've been at college. I miss Mia. I haven't had a chance to see her or my family for a whole week. I sat on my tiny bed. Dustin walked in. He had a girl with him.
"Bus? Who's this?"
"This is Brianna"
"Umm okay... what I meant was why is she here?"
"I told her she could come over!" He was smiling. I didn't want to be here while he flirts. But I do like how he is actually trying to get a girlfriend.
"Okay then I'm gonna go see if I can go study" I walked around the campus. It was pretty sunny out and I sat at a table. I got out my textbooks and studied.
"Well, well, well. Look who we have here.." a voice called to me. What the heck. That was like a line from a villain. I looked up and oh wow it was Julian.
"Oh wow hi Julian. Oh! And hi umm Marisa" Marisa was standing next to him. His arm was around her waist. Good for them. They were a good match.
"Hi James! I didn't know you went here" Marisa happily said.
"Yeah.. umm so you guys got any plans?"
"Nope were just walkin"
"Oh okay" I looked down at my papers.
"Would you like to walk with us?" Marisa asked.
"Umm sure. Only if Julian's okay with it"
"Yeah it's fine. I know it can be hard when you don't have Mia with you"
"Yeah I haven't seen her in a week. But I bet she doesn't even care...."
"What do you mean doesn't care?"
"She won't talk to me. Before I came here, she wouldn't talk to me after the uh incident"
"Oh well maybe I could ask her"
"Really? Thanks!"
** Julian's POV **
It was Saturday now. I was going to see Mia. We actually haven't talked in a while. I knocked on her door. She came out in crutches and tons of scars and bruises. I heard she was hurt but I didn't expect this.
"Hey Mia!"
"Hi" she didn't sound happy at all.
"Can I come in?"
"Sure..". We sat in the grass In her backyard.
"So why did you come over?"
"I just wanted to catch up with you. We haven't talked in a while and that whole thing with the piercing man guy kinda worried me"
"Aww thanks for caring about me. It's just that I'm bored to death without James"
"Of course I care about you. Your my friend. So how are you and James?"
"I'm mad at James right now....."
"Why?"
"Well before that man did those things to me, James was talking with him. Then the man came back in and said "look! Your little boyfriend is leaving you now! Hahaha what type of man just leaves a girl like this" I saw James leave and drive out of the fence. It crushed my heart. He was leaving me with this guy and I was abused until like 5 minutes later he knocked me out. I woke up and remembered the pain and the heartache that I felt when he left me. So that's why I'm mad at him"
"Oh well he really misses you"
"I bet. Wait! How do you know?"
"Marisa and I ran in to him studying on the campus"
"Oh wow. Everybody gets to see James besides me"
"I'm sorry Mia"
"It's okay I just really miss him"
"He'll come see you soon"
"How do you know?"
"Because he loves you"
"No he doesn't" she got up and sat on the couch.
"Mia I know for a fact that he loves you. He was so sad when you weren't there at college"
"What do you mean?"
"Well he, Marisa, and I went for a walk and he was just looking down the whole time and wouldn't really talk much. He misses you Mia. Don't even tell yourself that he doesn't"
"Okay but when should I see him?"
"Probably next week"
** James's POV **
The next day I went to chemistry class. We had to get into partners and do an experiment. I didn't know anyone in this class. I was the odd one out. Then a girl with red long hair walked up to me.
"Hi I'm Mckenna. I don't have a partner. Can you be my partner?"
"Uh uh sure" I grabbed her some goggles.
"Here you go" she put them on and they were giant on her.
"I look like a bug don't I?"
"Bugs are cute" I said without thinking. We got a lot done in class but it was due tomorrow and there was no way We could finish it in time.
"Do you want to come to my dorm and help finish it?" I asked her.
"I'd love to!" We walked side by side down the hallways.
"So James, tell me about you? I mean not in a weird way but you seem nice and funny so...."
"Well I have a sister named Sarah, my favorite color is red, I like the number 11, and I love pizza"
"That's a pretty basic life"
"Yep. Oh and I forgot the biggest part of my life"
"What?"
"I'm madly in love"
"Oh.... with who?"
"Mia" I sang her name.
"Oh okay.. does she go here?"
"No she's at home. I miss her so much"
"I have a question"
"Yeah?"
"Well I overheard someone in class saying that you're famous. Is that true?
"Well it depends. I'm famous for two reasons. The one that they're probably talking about when Mia fell into a coma"
"What!?!?"
"We're here!" I tried to change the subject and opened my door.
"James can you tell me that story?"
"Well how bout I just show you"
"What do you mean?"
"Just look" I got out my phone and showed her the video that Sarah made. It showed us as kids, when she moved away, when we got together, and when she went into a coma. Mckenna's face was horrified.
"Oh James I'm sorry"
"Oh no she's fine now. She's just 3 hours away...."
We told stories and talked. She had surprisingly been through a lot. Her parents were killed in a car crash when she was 7, her twin sister and her got put in different foster homes, they haven't seen each other in over 11 years, and she never found any place or people to call home. It was now 11:00pm. I was working on our project for quite a while. It was silent.
"You should probably get going. It's past 11" she didn't respond.
"Mckenna?"
She was passed out on my bed. Ugh I can't just wake her up. That would be rude. Dustin slammed open the door. He was wobbling around singing Yankee Doodle.
"Dus?"
"Oh hey jam jam!"
"Dustin are you kidding me?"
"I ain't kidding! I'm the bib! And I will assassinate you!"
"Dus, I think you had one too many"
"SHUT UP!!!! Jam jam, you don't get it!"
"What don't I get?"
"You don't get the feeling of surfing on the bald man's hair"
"Oh my god Dus. Just get in your bed and drink some water"
"Fine. I will kill you tomorrow" he fell backwards onto the ground. I dragged him to his bed and left him there. Geez Dustin, you're already living the college life.
"Mckenna?" I shook her. She woke up and yawned.
"Oh I'm sorry James I'll go"
"It's okay bye" she shut the door. I got in bed and I thought about Mia. THE WHOLE NIGHT.
I woke up and Dustin was passed out on his bed.
"Dustin?"
"Dustin!!!!" He gasped.
"Owww my head"
"Yeah that's called a hangover"
"Ugh what happened?"
"You came in and told me you were a bib and was going to assassinate me. And then you told me that I didn't get the feeling of surfing on a bald man's hair"
"Oh I'm sorry" he laughed.
"Nah it's good it was funny"
All throughout the week McKenna and I hung out. We had a lot in common. She was really funny. It was now Saturday and she was at my dorm. We were telling bad things we've done in our childhood.
"Well when I was 4, I tried to stuff my cat in the toilet" she was laughing.
"Wow that's cruel. When I was 3, Sarah wanted a cat so I snuck into my neighbors house and stole their cat while they were on vacation. It turned out that their alarm was set and the police came and took me to the station. I was so confused they had to call my mom and I was grounded. Then a week later, Sarah got a cat"
"Wow" she got up and stubbed her toe on the table.
"Ah ow"
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah just a stubbed toe"
"Do you want some ice?"
"Sure" I got her some ice and she sat right next to me on the couch.
"Thank you James"
"Oh it's no problem" she turned to me. Umm..... she started making out with me. What was she doing?!?! She knows I have a girlfriend. I went with it. She was a really good kisser.
"Well ummm... McKenna I really like you and you are a good kisser but--" I was about to say I only like her as a friend but I noticed McKenna was looking to the left and her face was red. I looked her way and. Oh no.... it's Mia. Her eyes were bulging out of her sockets and her mouth dropped. I quickly pushed McKenna away and ran up to Mia.
"James?!?!?!"
"Mia this isn't what it looks like!"
"James!" She was crying.
"No please Mia let me explain!"
"No we're done! I'm never talking to you again!" She ran out with mascara running down her cheeks.
"McKenna! Why would you kiss me?!?! I have a girlfriend and you know that!"
"I'm so sorry James I forgot!"
"No McKenna, you didn't forget. Please get out now!" She silently walked out. I called Mia a billion times. I texted her a trillion times. Then she blocked me. What was I going to do?

** Mia's POV **
I ran down the hall. Why would he do this to me?!? He kissed another girl! I am never going to forgive him ever. Even if he has a good excuse I will never forgive him. I passed by Julian walking down the hall.
"Mia?!? What's wrong?!?"
"James is cheating on me!" I hugged him.
"No he's not"
"Yes! I just walked in on him kissing a girl"
"No there has to be a reason. He didn't cheat Mia"
"Stop! He did cheat on me! I saw it Julian!" I pushed him out of the way and got in my car. I sat in there for about half an hour until James got in the car with me. I turned away from him.
"Mia please I can explain!"
"Get away from me! I never want to see you again!"
"Please! Mia! No! She kissed me!"
"I doubt it. Why didn't you push her away?"
"I was about to and then you came in!"
"Yeah sure" I sobbed and covered my eyes.
"Mia I know it seems like I'm lying but I'm not. I met McKenna in chemistry and we were partners. She is just a friend and that's all I think of her as"
"No"
"What do you mean no?"
"Get out now"
"Mia please I can't loose you!"
"Get out of my car right now James! I don't have time for this I have to go home and cry!" I sounded so mean that I almost felt bad. But he cheated on me so he deserves what I'm saying. I looked up at him. His eyes were watery and he was looking down.
"Mia, I love you" he left. I loved him and now, I don't. Now, I hate him. Now, I think of him as a backstabbing jerk. I drove to my house and cried in my bed. There were Mascara marks all over my pillow. The doorbell rang. I looked out the peephole and saw Sarah and Eric. I opened the door. I totally forgot about all the mascara running down my cheeks.
"Aw Mia you look horrible. I mean you don't look horrible but uh you don't look-"
"It's okay Sarah" I muttered.
"Can we come in?"
"Sure"
We sat on the couch and Eric grabbed me a tissue.
"Thank you"
"So Mia, I just got a text from James saying you dumped him. Why?"
"I did not dump him! Well technically I did but he is the one to blame"
"Why?"
"He cheated on me.."
"What?!? No. James never cheats on a girl!"
"Well he did to me"
"How?"
"I was surprising him and coming to his dorm for a visit, when I walked on him kissing some red-headed girl!"
"Mia, I know it looks bad but you have to consider his side of the story. This might just be a misunderstanding. I know James. I've known him for almost 17 years now, and I know that he would never cheat on a girl. Mostly you"
"He said that she kissed him and they are just friends but I don't believe him"
"He loved you though"
"No. clearly he didn't"
"Did you love him?"
"Of course I did! Why would I be bawling my eyes out?"
"Yesterday would you trust him?"
"Well yeah but that was before I saw him kiss her"
"That doesn't change who he is. He's still the James we both know"
"No he's not. He cheated on me!"
"Mia, after all you guys have been through, do you think he would cheat on you?"
She showed me the video of us and our love story.
"I wouldn't expect him to but I saw Sarah. You can't argue with that"
"Yes but-"
I cut her off. "I want you to get out"
"Why?"
"Please just get out" they left. I needed to talk with someone. Someone who knows James and I really well. Dustin.
I called him.
"Hey Dustin"
"Hey"
"Could you come over sometime today?"
"Sure I can head out right now"
"Okay thanks" a few hours later, he drove up. We sat in the back patio and drank ice tea.
"So Dustin do you think James would cheat on me?"
"Where did that come from? James would never cheat on you"
"I walked in on James kissing a girl today. He didn't tell you?"
"Nope. He's been under his covers all day. He skipped his classes too"
"He deserves it. After all we've been through I would think he'd be a good boyfriend"
"I can't imagine James doing that though. Are you sure that's what you saw?"
"I'm 100% sure. I just can't believe he would do this to me" I started tearing up.
"It'll be okay Mia. You'll find the right guy"
"It's not just that but after 8 years of being together I would expect some kind of warning" now I was actually crying.
"I'm so sorry is there any way I can help?"
"No. there isn't"
"Okay I'm gonna go now"
"Okay bye"
"Bye"
** James's POV **
Dustin walked in. I shifted myself to where he couldn't see me at all. I was under the covers thinking.
"James?" He shouted my name 30 times.
"Are you going to talk to me? I already know about Mia and how you cheated on her" I quickly lifted my head up.
"How do you know?"
"Woah dude. I've never seen you cry! You eyes are so red and you look and terrible do you need anything?"
"How do you know that?"
"I was just talking with Mia"
"Do you believe her?"
"Well knowing you, you would never cheat but she saw you kiss another girl dude. Girls can't just forget about that"
"Dustin, she kissed me. I don't know what she was thinking. I told her about Mia yet she still kissed me. I am never talking to her again. But what do you think I should do about Mia?"
"I think you should text her and say-"
"She blocked me"
"Okay text her on my phone"
I took his phone and texted a very long text.
Mia, this is James. I can see how you think this is all on me but you have to see this from my point of view. I made a new friend at college, we had a lot in common, and we hung out a few times. One time when I was hanging out with her, she kissed me. I didn't know why. I told her a lot about you so she knew I had a girlfriend. Then you walked in. My heart shriveled up. I am never talking to McKenna again. I understand if you won't take me back but just know that I truly love you.

She didn't respond. The next day, the next day, and the next day followed. And she didn't respond.
"Have a good weekend James" Dustin said to me as I walked out the door. I drove to my family's house. I was going to spend the weekend over there. I pulled up in the driveway. I saw Mia outside her front yard reading a book on her swing. I walked towards her but she went inside. I knocked on my door. Sarah answered.
"You know this is your house and you don't have to knock right?"
"Yeah" I walked in and my mom hugged me.
"James I miss you so much"
"I miss you too mom" we sat down for dinner. It was just a basic dinner. She asked me how college was going, how Dustin she doing, and then she asked about Mia. I don't think that she knows that she broke up with me.
"So have gone to see Mia yet?" My eyes got watery by just hearing her name. I didn't answer.
"James?"
"Mom, I don't want to talk about Mia right now.."
"Why what's wrong?"
"Oh nothing I just um so how's you and Eric?"
"Uh that's random but we're doing fine"
"Good for you" the rest of the dinner was silent. My moms phone started ringing.
"Oh I gotta take this. It's work" she talked for about 5 minutes and then came back into the dining room.
"Kids I have to go to work late I'm sorry" she ran out in a hurry.
"James. Can I ask you a question?" Sarah asked me.
"Yes"
"When are you going to see Mia again?"
"Sarah, no I'm not going to ever see her again! She hates me and I'm never gonna get her back so shut up!" She scooted back.
"But she loves you. And you love her"
"Not anymore so please stop talking about her" I got up and went into my old bedroom. I went on the computer for a little while and played animal jam. My door opened. I expected it to be Sarah but it was Mia. I stood up and ran to her. She moved backwards and pushed me away.
"Mia what are you doing here?"
"James, I want to tell you that I really did love you. And you just had to screw it all up. I don't care what your excuses are, even if you have a good one, I will never forgive you. I hate you for what you did. I know that you loved me and that you still do, but move on. I will never love you after what you did to me. So stop trying to get me back and move on with you life" she walked out and left. What was that all about? She just crushed my heart. It felt like it was being demolished by a cement truck. Why would she say that to me? I was bawling. Sarah walked in and hugged me. Eric was there too. Why was he here? Wait when did he get here? It didn't matter he has seen me cry before when Mia was in a coma and now again while she just told me that she hates me. I was sobbing on Sarah's shoulder. Eric stood by the door waiting for Sarah.
"James in sorry I know this isn't your fault"
"Why- would-she- say- those things?!?" I was crying in between my words.
"James she's hurt"
"But-" I backed away. I rubbed my eyes.
"I'm sorry Eric"
"What for?"
"You just had to see an 18 you old man bawl his eyes out"
"It's okay I can't imagine how you feel right now" he patted my back.
"Thanks - Eric" I snuffled. We sat and talked for a little bit and they cheered me up. They are such a cute couple. I wish I had that. I did have that... but now it's gone forever. I didn't feel like staying that weekend so I left and went back to my dorm. Dustin wasn't there and it was 11:00pm. As I was getting ready for bed, a heard a knock at the door. I answered it and I frowned. It was McKenna.
"James I'm so sorry I totally forgot and I want thinking! Please forgive me!"
"McKenna, do you want to know what my answer is?"
"Yes please?"
"Well everybody makes mistakes and we can't help that. So as humans we forgive each other---"
"Oh thank you so much I was worried" she interrupted me.
"Ahem I wasn't done" I coughed.
"Oh sorry keep going"
"So as humans, we forgive each other. But what you did was horrible. Mia, my true love, broke up with me. She told me today to move on with my life because she hates me. And do you know who's fault that is?"
"Umm yeah. It's mine"
"Yep that's right! And for that I will say what she said to me. McKenna, you screwed everything up. I don't care what your excuses are, even if they are good ones, I will never forgive you for this. I hate you so get outta here I never want to see you again"
"But---"
"I said get out"
She left silently when Dustin peeked around the corner.
"Dude that was harsh!"
"She cost me Mia. She deserves it" I told Dustin what she Mia had said to me. He gave me a hug.
"It'll be okay James, just give it some time you two are meant to be with each other"
"No we aren't she hates me" a couple tears ran down my cheeks.
"Aw buddy don't cry. Be brave. And look at the bright side"
"There is no bright side"
"Yes there is. Now you can date other girls"
"I don't want other girls I want Mia" I sounded like a little kid.
"Then Mia is what you shall get. I promise that I will get her back for you"
I wiped my tears.
"Okay"
"Now get some sleep you look tired"
"Kay" I went to bed.
** Mia's POV **
I walked back to my house. I just told James that I wasn't going to forgive him. Through the door I went and made myself a pot pie. I ate it alone. I wanted James here. I wanted to see him sing the salt and pepper song he made up. I wanted him at the table laughing with me. Wait a second. Earlier today, I told James that I hated him. I don't hate him! I love him! Why would I say that? I want him back but I doubt he wants me...