A/N: Thanks for the critique, I'm suppper grateful. I hope you guys like this story....the beginging is so overused I know sorry.

Chapter 2 : Shattered Reality

"I wanted to know if you could help me win Brittany over." he said the words made Enola's dream fall apart right before her eyes. She breathed out a sigh of disappointment while a sad look took over her eyes. He looked at her with eager eyes, obviously not realizing that he had unintentionally hurt her.

"I guess…I could help you." Enola said slowly with a twinge of disappointment. Enola looked in her bag pretending that she had received a text message.

"I heard that you're driving to the East Coast with your mom over the summer. Do you think she would let me tag along for the ride? I would give her gas money." he asked her. Enola looked up at him and realized he was only using her so that he could get a ride to New York and the other motive was for some odd reason he wanted Brittany. Jealousy shot through Enola's veins as she thought about Ryan holding Brittany. She tried to fight the thoughts as she looked up into his emerald eyes.

"I actually have to go, my mother just sent me a text. She wants me home so I'm sorry I have to go." Enola said she stood up and walked away from the tables.

"So you'll ask her about it?" he asked just before she shut the door on his words. Enola let the tears that were fighting to get over the brim of her eyes fall. She put the keys in her mother's car and sped off towards her neighborhood. Rachael rushed out to the driveway when she heard the car approaching at an alarming speed.

"Sweetheart, where were you?" she asked worriedly, seeing her daughters irritated hazel eyes.

"I went to Bailey's to get pizza." she said her voice was cracking.

"What happened, baby? What's wrong?" Rachael looked her over checking for any kind of injury.

"It's stupid, Mom. He just doesn't like me, he likes Brittany. How could he like her over me? It's not fair, we have so much more history." Enola sobbed into her mother's shoulder.

"Oh, sweetheart. It's ok you'll meet your man and he'll love you more than life itself." Rachael said holding her daughter's torso against her, half in the car, half out the door. After being calmed down by her mother Enola was ready to talk about what happened. Rachael pushed Enola to the bathroom shutting the door and leaving some pajamas on the counter next to the sink. Enola stood in the shower her eyes were bloodshot from crying. Her hair was knotted from the hairspray and what was left of her mascara was dripping down her cheeks. She started breathing heavily as she thought of Ryan's words. 'Help me win Brittany over.' It had to be Brittany of all people, her best friend. Enola finished and pulled on the pajamas her mother left.

"Mom, I'm finished in the shower." Enola said going to her room and throwing herself on the bed.

"Enola, it's going to be fine. I promise you." her mother said sitting on the bed touching Enola's hair.

"I know it is, I'm just so mad." Enola cried moving to rest her head in her mother's lap.

"Come on, baby. It's nobody's fault. We'll visit your father and you'll forget all about this." Enola listened to her mother.

"No I won't. Ryan wants to visit his Mom in New York. So he asked to come with us." Enola said quietly.

"Honey, if you don't want to see him you can tell him I said that there isn't any room in the car." Rachael said finger brushed Enola's hair.

"I'm fine with it. I can't let this affect me so bad." Enola told her mother with a deep sigh.

"You're a lot stronger than I was at your age. I would've tried to change his mind." Rachael laughed lightly.

"I can't do that. I can't force someone to change their feelings. I'm going to tell Brittany when I go pick up my sneakers." Enola said looking at her mother with a light pout still playing on her lips.

"It was just a suggestion! You're such a drag sometimes." her mother said in a teenage voice with a great big laugh at the end.

"Yea, Yea…I'm going to sleep." Enola threw a pillow at Rachael.

"Put your hair up, you don't want it rubbing on your face at night." she said throwing Enola a bow. Enola looked at the bow that had landed on her white tank top and pulled her hair into a ponytail. Rachael laid next to Enola and they fell asleep soundly.

Enola couldn't see anything everything was shrouded in darkness. All she could do was hear voices, footsteps, and ocean waves crashing onto the seashore. She felt herself moving, no, walking towards something and she could feel annoyance running through her. She came to a sudden stop as she nearly collided with someone, who made a light gasp.

"I'm going to ruin you." a female voice said softly.

"I don't understand." she felt that it was her talking, but the voice was not hers.

"You're life is over." the voice said with a ominous laugh at the end. A heavy grief forced itself on her shoulders. She physically felt weighed down and could not keep a sob that was climbing up her throat suppressed.

Enola shot up in her bed bringing her hand to her forehead, she could still feel the immense amount of grief. With a shuttering breath she dragged her hand down her face, stopping at her wet cheeks. She looked to the side of her where her mother was still sleeping. Enola didn't understand as she could still feel the sob trapped in her throat, it was painful as she released. Tears began pouring down her cheeks at an alarming rate, until it became full hysterics. Rachael shot up with a worried expression and looked at her daughter who was now standing sitting in the corner. She looked at Enola whose arms were curled around her knees. Rachael walked towards her with light caution, she could remember what happened once when Enola was just a little girl.

"Sweetie, did you have a nightmare?" she asked in a gentle voice. Enola looked up at her with distraught eyes.

"What's wrong with me?" she cried through the sobs.

"There is nothing wrong with you." Rachael said firmly.

"It hurts…" Enola pulled one hand over her heart.

"Where, baby?" Rachael asked her, her eyes stinging.

"I-I don't know." Enola said, Rachael pulled Enola to her and wrapped her arms around her tightly until the crying was over.

"I'm sorry, I don't what happened." Enola whispered.

"Are you alright?" Rachael asked cradling Enola's body.

"I'm ok now. I just felt…so heavy." Enola said, Rachael rubbed Enola's arms.

"You must have been holding too many feelings in." Rachael said kissing the top of Enola's head. Rachael led Enola back to the bed, and tucked her in. When the morning finally came Rachael and Enola started loading the car with their suitcases. By the afternoon Enola was ready to get on the road and leave the silver state. Her brown hair was in another braid she played with a strand of loose hair that she had missed while braiding. Rachael sat in the driver's seat with a light smile stuck on her lips.

"Do you want to go to Brittany's to pick up your sneakers first?" she asked the teen who was staring out the car window. Enola nodded and felt the car kick up and drive to Brittany's house, all the while she was thinking about the dream from last night. Trees flashed by and when they were in front of Brittany's house Enola was brought back to earth. Enola stepped out of the car and walked towards the front door, she pressed the bell and almost immediately Brittany opened the door with a great big smile.

"I'm going to miss you so much." Brittany said hugging her friend.

"I have something to tell you." Enola stated rather glumly.

"Let me guess, you and the football god, had magical sex all night long." she joked.

"That would never happen." Enola said.

"Well then, you guys at least kissed?" she asked sitting down on her couch.

"Brittany! Stop, ok. He doesn't like me….he likes you." Enola struggled to say without a bit of anger seeping through.

"…I don't know what to say." Brittany whispered. Enola stared at her for a few seconds before she let an annoyed breath leave her.

"You don't like him, do you?" Enola looked at Brittany who sat there silent.

"I need to get my shoes, but then I'm leaving." Enola said walking to Brittany's room and grabbing the sneakers.

"I'm sorry, Enola." Brittany said as Enola stormed out of the house. Enola sat in the car with a angry face. Rachael didn't want to provoke any further anger from the teen. Enola wanted to wrap her fingers around Brittany's necks squeeze and shake the breath from her lungs. She left in such a rush because she didn't want to do or say anything that she would regret later on. Brittany was standing on the sidewalk, Rachael could see her in the rearview mirror. Enola was looking straight ahead with daggers in her eyes and she was biting her bottom lip.

"Stop, biting your lip or it's gonna start bleeding," Rachael warned. Enola looked at her from the side of her eye and released her lip from between her teeth. "I called Ryan's father, while you were sleeping last night, to tell him that Ryan could come with us." she added lightly. Enola tried to change her attitude when they pulled up to his house and saw him standing in his doorway. She got out of the car after receiving a certain look from her mother's blue eyes.

"I'm going." she mumbled under her breath walking towards him.

"I'm really grateful to you and your mother." Ryan smiled, that same intoxicating smile that made her knees go weak. The only difference now was that she was filled with jealousy at the same time. Jealous over the fact that Brittany would probably get to see that smile, and kiss the lips that formed it. Ryan looked at Enola and quirked his head to the side.

"You, ok?" he asked her, she hadn't even realized that she was spaced out.

"I'm fine. I'll open the trunk for you, it's kind of tricky." Enola said with a forced smile. She opened the trunk of the sedan and waited for him to squeeze his stuff with theirs. Enola got in the passenger's seat and waited for her mom to say something. Ryan opened the back door and slid in.

"I'm sorry, if I'm inconviencing you, Ms. Evans." Ryan said politely.

"It's no problem, and call me Rachael. When you say Ms. Evans I feel so old." she gave light chuckle. Enola was sitting silently not even putting some kind of input towards the conversation.

"Don't mind her, she didn't get much sleep last night." Rachael told Ryan how was sitting in the back with a rather awkward face.

"I'm fine, you act like I'm being anti social. I just need something to drink." Enola said a twist of annoyance lacing the words.

"Jeez, no need to bite my head off." Rachael said in an imitation of Enola. They had been on the road for hours already, almost a full day. Ryan was sleeping across the seat and Enola couldn't help but steal a few glances and his peaceful face. It wasn't like she could make her feelings for him just go away with the snap of her fingers. It wouldn't be natural to do that and yet she wished it were. Enola turned around and sat that her mother was getting tired. Rachael had deep bags under her eyes. Enola looked at her and touched her shoulder. The endless scenery was not helping in the least for her mother's exhaustion.

"Maybe, we should pull over so you can take a nap." Enola suggested. Rachael looked at her and nodded. They had just entered Illinois a half hour ago, and their destination wasn't far off. Enola watched as her mother fell asleep after rolling her chair back. Enola could feel her own eyes growing heavy. The sky was so dark now that even if the passengers were away the wouldn't be able to see anything in front of them. They were all awakened by the loudest horn they ever heard, and saw two bright lights rushing towards them. Enola let a scream erupt from her throat as her mom tried to get out of the way.

A tractor trailer came in contact with the nose of Nissan. The car was spinning so fast, and Enola was struggling to keep consciousness as her head hit the glass of the window. Dark spots began to blur her vision, she reached for her mother as the car slammed into a tree. The glass of the windshield shattered. Everything was happening in slow motion in her eyes, the glass was shining like fading stars.

"Mom?" she shook her weakly.

"Ryan?" she called holding her head. She could a pair of rushed heavy footsteps heading towards her.

"Hello?" a male's nervous voice said.

"I just hit a Nissan Altima!" he cried, Enola tried to move her head around.

"I'm at-" Enola couldn't understand his words anymore they were blurred and all scrambled together. She was losing consciousness her world was still spinning with swirls of darkness allowing themselves in. Enola reached her arm to touch her mother and felt that she was getting cold, tears started falling from her eyes as blackness took her.

It was dark again, she felt scared, cold air hitting her skin.

"No, you won't do this." Enola said in a shaking voice.

"I do that and more. You'll kiss this cottage and your life goodbye." the angry female voice said.

Enola opened her eyes which had a bright light pointing into them. She tried to sit up only to be forced down by a pair of hands on her shoulders. She could hear the blaring sirens of an ambulance. Her heart started to beat an alarming rate, dread filling her. She tried to sit up again but she found that she was lightheaded now. She watched a pair of arms leave a tube that led to her arm. 'I can't even….think' she thought before darkness took her back under its cover.

"I knew you were trouble, from the very beginning." Enola heard herself shout.

"I wish I had never met you!" she screamed. She felt strong arms wrap around her tightly and she began to sob.

"I love you, I'm sorry. I'm just so scared." she said. She felt soft lips on hers, those warm arms held her tightly.

Enola sat up she looked around and though the room was dark she could make out that it was a hospital. The audible sounds of the beeping monitor machines filled her ears. Enola tried to stand up but she felt so sluggish as she tried to walk to the door. A nurse walked in to the room and led her back to the bed.

"You shouldn't be out of bed, Ms. Reed." the nurse said gently pulling the sheets over Enola's legs.

"I can't sleep, I need to-" Enola tried to say.

"Now, if you can't sleep all you had to do was hit the button," the nurse interrupted showing her the button. The nurse raised her hand and took a syringe from her pocket pushing the head of it into the iv tube and pressing the plunger, which then released the sedatives. Enola could feel her eyes getting heavy and her breathing slow, she was afraid that her heart was stopping. "It's going to be alright, just sleep now." the nurse said moving hair from Enola's face, Enola's eyes closed and she was thrown into darkness.

Enola was cold, but heard the relaxing sound of the ocean's waves brushing the seashore, her hair was whipping around her in the wind.

"I don't know what to do!" she whispered, she dropped to her knees.

"I don't understand what I've done to deserve this." she cried out.

"You ruined everything." the familiar female voice said.

"I don't understand, what I've done to you!!!" she cried half sobbing.

"You know exactly what you've done to me!" the woman said, Enola felt hard contact against her cheek.

Enola opened her eyes not sitting up this time, the tears started falling with the familiar feeling of the world on her shoulders returned. Her breathing sped up and she started sobbing she was scared, alone, confused. She stood up in the hospital gown taking one step at a time slowly. She was trying to get the door, she could hear the familiar voice of her father. He was talking to the nurse in a hushed tone. His strong voice always sounded so out of place when he whispered.

"Mr. Reed, it's a miracle that her injuries weren't so serious. She's a bit shaken up, I had to give her a mild sedative to help her sleep last night." the nurse informed him.

"I'm grateful for all your efforts to keep her comfortable. I need to know whether or not you've told her." he said firmly, the nurse gasped lightly at his serious face, but her features softened.

"We thought it would be best for you to tell her. I'm sorry for your loss." the nurse said softly.

"I thank you, but we were separated." Mr. Reed said he was about to walk inside of the small room, but stopped. "Can you go down stairs and purchase a bouquet of magnolias?" he asked giving the nurse a one hundred dollar bill.

"No problem, Mr. Reed." the nurse replied. Her father walked in the room his dark brown hair held in an eat ponytail at the nape of his neck, his tan skin and deep hazel eyes mirrored hers.

"Daddy…" Enola cried as she wrapped her arms around him. He wrapped his arms around her small frame.

"I'm sorry, Enola. Your mother didn't make it." he said in a voice that was close to shattering, but held strength enough for both of them.