!TW: Not joking with Domestic Abuse, but there will be some in this part and you'll see how people deal with it especially when it happens to someone they love. If you are able to get out safely while you can!
My brothers and I were rehearsing a few dance routines, for an upcoming show. I was there physically, but mentally and emotionally all I could think about was Shanell...what the hell is this new feeling?! As we were rehearsing I kept messing up my moves...shit.
"Okay Dustin let's run that back one more time." stated our choreographer. 'I'm sorry, lets start from the top." I replied. I took a deep breath and told myself "get it together dude, this isn't like you." After we finished rehearsing my brothers pulled me to the side and asked what was going on.
"Dude what is going on?" Bryan asked concerned. "I can't get Shanell out of my head after seeing her." I replied. "She's your best friend, we would hope you don't stop thinking about her." Kelly mentioned. "Yeah I know, but it has gotten bad over the last few days." I said dropping my head in my hands. They all looked at me concerned.
"You have always has a deep love and connection for each other, but have always been afraid to ruin what yall have." Carnell stated. " Our mother overheard the conversation and asked what was going on. "Have you sat down and talked to her about how you feel?" my mom asked. "Not yet mom. I'm just scared its going to ruin our relationship." "You don't know until you try. The worse that can happen is yall having a fight." " Plus the bond that you two have is way too strong, so I doubt that it will get ruined." Kelly stated. "I'll call her and set up a date with her."
It was time to start rehearsing again, but my brothers knew I wasn't mentally ready to rehearse yet. " Aye Dustin take 5, clear your head, and come back when you're ready." Patrick said. I walk out the room, rubbing my temples when my mother calls me over.
"Michael please get this off of your chest." "Ma I don't know what to do about it at all." "Well you need to figure out how to get it off your chest before it's too late, now get in that room and use these feelings to finish you this choreographed ." "Okay Ma thank you for listening and the advice." I get up, hug her, and walk back to the room. After we finish rehearsing, I get a call from Shanell, and my heart skips a beat. There's my girl.
"Yo bestie wassup Shanell?" I ask. I can tell something is off, but I can't put my finger on it. "Hey are you busy?" "No we just got finished rehearsal... what's up, Are you crying?!" "Yes..." and she starts to cry harder. My heart drops to my stomach, what the hell is wrong with her?! "Can you hurry and get here please!" she said yelling. "Yeah I'll be there in 10. Tell me what is wrong now!!" "I can't talk right now just hurry!" she yell. The last thing I hear was shouting and her screaming...What the fuck?! Who the fuck was that yelling at her! I felt an instant sense of rage and saw red.
I ran to the room, put on my hoodie, and grabbed my keys. "Is everything alright Dustin?" My mom asked. "No Shanell just called me crying and the last thing I heard was her screaming." I said pacing the floor. As I'm telling them what was going on, Kelly gets a call from Ty. "Shanell just pocket dialed me screaming and crying, what the hell is going on?" " We don't know Dustin just got the same call, and he heard shouting and screaming." Kelly told her. "Okay I'm heading there now, yall get there ASAP. I think I know what happened." she said and hung up. We all looked at each other confused and pissed off. What the yell does she know that I don't. "Boys please be careful, and get to her as fast as you can." Our mom says with tears and worry in her eyes.
We all ran out the door, got in our cars, and pulled off. What the fuck is happening, why was there screaming and yelling, and why is my best friend crying?! Now I'm furious! We all get to Shanell's house, to find an ambulance and 12 outside her house. I hop out the car and run towards her apartment. As I'm running I see her car windows busted out and blood on the driver's side. My heart sank. Where is she...please be okay. When we get to the stairs the cop stops us. I try to push past, it the push me back down the steps.
"Whoa whoa, who are you all?" the first cop asked. "We're her friends. Is she okay? What happened?" Ty asked. "Glad yall showed up. We got a DV call, showed up, to find her being held hostage by an ex." the second cop stated. He had a look on his face, that made me really worried. "Is she alive? my mother asked walking up to us and the cop. "Yes she is but she's in a really rough shape. They are about to bring her down to get assessed." The first cop stated. "Did yall catch the guy that did this?" I asked get pissed off by the second. "Yeah we did but it ended in a fatality. That's why there's so many cops." The third cop states.
As we are talking, the EMTs walk out of her place, with her on a stretcher. I see her face messed up, she's covered in blood and bruises all over her body. Soon as I saw this I instantly saw red. "Please be breathing." is all I could say. "Dustin!" She shouted very shaky-like and I'm able to breathe a little bit. She tried to get up, but I ran over to her. "Hey hey don't get up. What happened to you?!" I asked with tears in my eyes. My baby is all messed up, and there's nothing I can do to take it away. "Me and my ex Carter got into it, because I wouldn't take him back. I didn't know he was outside my door, and when I went to leave him barged in and hit me. This is my fault, I should've looked out the peep hole." She says panicking and crying. Now I want is head. HER FAULT?! HE DID THIS TO HER!
I held her close and tried to calm her down. "This is not your fault, it's his and he paid for what he did." I tell her and calming her down some more. "Sorry to interrupt I'm Det. John and I wanted to inform you that Carter is deceased. We are extremely sorry for what you have experienced. The EMTs are going to take you to the hospital and take care of your injuries." I asked the EMTs if I could follow, and they allowed me to ride with her. "Go son me, your brothers, and Ty will follow behind you." My mom said hugging me. "I will call her brothers, mom, my mom and brothers, and tell them to meet us at the hospital." Ty said walking away.
When we got there, they made me leave and head to the waiting room. I didn't want to leave her side, but I knew they had to do their job to help her. I kissed her forehead. "I love you, I will be waiting for you." I told her. "I love you too Dustin." she said. I walked into the waiting room with her blood all over me. Everyone was in the waiting room and my mother can see the anger and hurt on my face and she hug me tightly. "She is going to be okay. Come sit down and take a breath." I sat down, looked at my brothers with tears in my eyes, and they all hugged me. For what seemed forever all we could hear was her blood curdling screams of pain. I bawled immediately. The doctor finally came, said she's okay, but has horrible bruises, cuts, and PTSD symptoms. They told us we could go visit her, but I wasn't ready to see her like that yet. Ty, the boys, and her father went in first to see her. After they were done it was time for me and our mothers to go in.
"Come on son, lets go." my mother says grabbing my hand. "I can't right now y'all go." I said shaking my head. "Come on you got this, she needs you and you need her." her mother says. She grabs my hand, and we walk in. When I walk in there tears immediately fall from my eyes. She's hooked up to so many wires, had bruises and cuts everywhere. "Hey I was wondering where you were?" she said smiling and laughing, which made her choke a little. I rush to her side. Our mothers kiss her goodbye and head back to the waiting room, which leaves us alone. They must've given her something for the pain.
"I should've told you to come with me and this wouldn't have happened, I'm so sorry Shanell." I said shaking my head and crying. "This is not your fault, we didn't know this was going to happen Dustin.' she stated very groggy. I look up at her, and I can tell she's in so much pain. The nurses come in to tell me that visiting hours are over and that she needs rest. "I'm not leaving her again." I said standing up. "We will keep you updated throughout the night, but you all need your rest." the nurse says. "I'm still not leaving her!" "Dustin go get some rest." Shanell said sternly. Despite what she's been through, she still puts others before herself. "I'll be back bright and early okay I promise." I said grabbing her face gently. "Okay I'll be waiting." she responded smiling. I could tell her medicine was kicking in, so I made sure she was comfortable. I left my hoodie beside her.
When I looked down, she was knocked out...so I thought. "I love you Shanell so much."(Did I just say that?!) "I love you too Dustin." she replied and fell back to sleep. I kissed her forehead and left. When I got home I tried to sleep, I couldn't because I couldn't stop thinking about her. I let her dogs in the room and dozed off finally. Why didn't she tell me about this?
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From Childhood Friends to Always and Forever.
FanfictionFrom the age of 5 and grade-school, Dustin and Shanell have been the best of friends. As time and their lives went on and they remained friends. However, that all changed the day they realized they were the only ones for each other. Will they stay f...
