Believe in Me

Chapter 15

Demi's POV

Last night Jake had me come pick up some box from the hospital. I have no idea what is in it and I can't open it until after my session with Anna tomorrow. Tonight is the results show. If Anna doesn't make it through I'm going to be pissed. She had by far the best performances last night. I got Starbucks and then headed to the lot to get ready for tonight. Anna wasn't there yet which was weird because she normally was already there when I got there doing her school or something. I don't know why she just didn't do it at home, but whatever. I went through wadrobe and makeup and everything and Anna still wasn't there. The show was in about an hour and she had to get ready and everything still. I was starting to freak out. I didn't have her phone number, but she had mine. Then I remembered Jake texted me so I called that number and there was no answer. 

Finally she pulled up in Jake's car. She looked so much different. Normally she has a full face of makeup already on and her hair is in perfect curls and she has decent clothes on, but today she looked really tired and you could tell she tried to cover up the circles under her eyes. Her makeup was smudged some and her hair was frizzy. She looked like she had fallen asleep with her makeup on and rolled out of bed to come here. I didn't have time to ask what was going on before the makeup artists took her to get her ready. She was ready just in time for the show. Hopefully she wouldn't have to sing in the bottom two since she didn't have time to warm up. 

Anna's POV

I was so busy helping Jake's parents plan the funeral that I forgot about X Factor. When I remembered it was too late to try and get ready so I threw my wig on and left. I got weird stares when I got there and Demi looked like she had something to say, but thankfully I had to go get ready so I didn't have time to talk to her. I wasn't ready to tell her yet. I didn't even believe it myself.. Tonight was going to be hard. 

The show had started and we were all standing on stage. Demi had her arm around me as Mario was announcing the first person that would be kicked off tonight. It wasn't me. I had mixed emotions. I didn't know how I was going to make it through next week if I don't get kicked off, but at the same time I want to win the money so hopefully what happened to Jake won't have to happen to anyone else. After the elimination there was a commercial break and then two performances so I had to go sit back stage and wait for the next elimination. There were only 4 of us left now. As soon as I got off the stage I ran to the bathroom and found the blade I had hidden in there. Since I didn't get to wear my own clothes for the show I couldn't keep a blade in my pocket so I hid one in the bathroom just in case I needed it. Well I need it now. I couldn't stop thinking of Jake. I wanted to be dead with him. I pulled the dress I was wearing up revealing my scar covered hip. I slid the blade across the only empty spot I could find. It hurt, but I deserved the pain. Then there was a knock on the door. "Anna, are you okay?" it was Demi, you could tell by her voice. 

"Yeah," I managed to get out and then I flushed the toilet, wiped the blood off my hip and fixed my makeup in the mirror before going out. I had hopped she left after she checked on me, but she didn't. She was waiting on me. 

"Anna what's going on?" Demi asked me.

"Nothing Demi! I'm fine!" I snapped. I didn't mean to get so angry, but it was none of her business. She had her own problems. She didn't need mine too. She didn't get angry and fire back like my mom used to do. She didn't even look hurt or shocked. She gave me a sympathetic look and pulled me over to the couch in the dressing room. She didn't say a word, she just pulled me down onto the couch and pulled me into her. She had one arm wrapped around me rubbing my arm and she gently pushed my head onto her shoulder with the other and then she grabbed my hand. I knew she wanted me to explain but I couldn't so I just sat there. I wanted to cry. I wanted to explain everything to her. I wanted her to fix me and make me happy, but I knew that was impossible so I kept my guard up. After a couple minutes of silence we were called back to the stage. She still didn't say a word she just gave me another sympathetic look and took my hand and we walked to the stage. Thankfully I wasn't in the bottom two. I had made it to the finals. I wish Jake was here. Demi hugged me and then I walked off stage and went backstage. I got changed while the two in the bottom were singing and then I called Jake's parents to pick me up. They got there right as the show was ending. I avoided Demi as I made my way out to the car. They took me back to my foster parents house. When I got there the normal process of my drunk foster dad screaming at me started again. 

Demi's POV

Anna jumped at me tonight. I didn't expect it because normally she was so sweet. I could tell she regretted it instantly and that there was something on her mind. I just held her on the couch hoping she would talk, but she never did. Hopefully I could get her to talk in our mentoring session tomorrow. 

*Tomorrow Morning*

I got ready and went to the lot. I noticed Anna sitting on the ground slouched over outside the building. I got a little bit scared so I ran over to her. She didn't lift her head when I crouched down next to her. "Anna?" I heard her sniffle and then she looked up at me. Her makeup was smudged. She had been crying. "What's wrong?" she shook her head and bursted into sobs. I had never seen her really cry before beside while she was performing, but that doesn't really count.

"J-j-jake," was all she could get out. I sat there for a minute with her and then decided to take her inside because it was really hot out and I was worried that if she stayed out here any longer she might pass out or something. She was curled up in a little ball with her head laying on her knees. I couldn't get her to get up or talk or anything so I ended up just picking her up and carrying her. When I picked her up she buried her head into my neck and sobbed into me. I hated seeing her like this. It broke my heart. She doesn't deserve this. At the same time I was glad that she finally trusted me enough to cry around me. Now if I could just get her to talk to me. I put her down on the couch and sat down next to her. I wrapped my arm around her and she hid her face in my chest. 

After a while her sobbing slowed down. "What's going on sweetie," I asked her pulling her away from me so I could see her face.

"J-jake died," she said while her voice cracked. That's why he gave me that box. "Demi I think I loved him,"  she said as the crying started again. You could tell she loved him from the day of auditions. I pulled her into me and let her cry again. That took a lot of strength to admit something like that to someone. I couldn't believe she trusted me that much. She started talking again, "He told me he loved me Tuesday night right after they turned off his life support and then... we kissed," she sounded like she was ashamed. I mean she was only 13, but you could tell she really loved him. "He died with me laying in his arms. It should've been me not him!" she was sobbing again. She was breaking my heart. She didn't deserve to go through any of the shit she had been through. I just wanted to take away all her pain, but I couldn't. I held her in my arms for the longest time while she cried. I cried with her for a while. 

After her mentoring session was over I remembered the box Jake had gave me that was still in my car. I went a grabbed it after she has left. I opened it up. Inside there was an envelope, a memory card, and a smaller box that looked like a jewelry box. Each thing had instructions on it. On the box it says to give it to Anna if she wins. The memory card has a note attached with my name on the note. The note reads:

Demi, please try to get the producers to play this before Anna sings on Tuesday.

The letter has my name on it so I opened it and read it.

Demi,

I wanted to thank you for everything you've done for Anna. I am asking you to watch over her and be there for her because you are the only person left now that she trusts. It may not seem like it, but she really does like you and trust you. I remember before she auditioned for the show she was so exited to meet you. She is a huge Lovatic. She talks about you all the time. She even went as far to say that you saved her life before all of this happened. She didn't explain what she meant to me, but saving someones life is a pretty big deal. When the show ends please do not leave Anna. She needs you. She has told me a lot, but I know she didn't tell me the full story. It takes her a long time to get the courage to open up about things. Please have patience with her and be there when she needs you. I trust that you will help her. I'm really worried about her. I'm assuming that since you are reading this Anna has made it to the finals. Please have her sing Nightingale and play the video that is on the memory card before she sings.

Thank you so much,

Jake

What did she mean by I saved her life? My Lovatics that have gone through some of the same things that I have tell me that all the time. I don't think Anna cuts or has an eating disorder. Maybe she did in the past? I don't know, but I will make sure to keep her safe and do everything Jake told me to do. I hope I can get her to open up fully to me eventually. You can see she wants to say so much, but she stops herself. She reminds me of myself before I went to treatment. I want to help her.