Eight*

They say if your friendship is real, it can withstand anything. That no matter how many times you fight, you can always fix things. That no matter how many people walk in and out of your lives, there will always be that one person, smiling back at you.

The sun was shining in Shelby's face when she opened her eyes and looked out the front window. “Where are we?” She mumbled to Lulu looking at the drivers seat.

“Morning Cuzzo. We're in Tennessee.” Denny replied looking at Shelby.

“Where's Lulu?”

“Asleep with Liz.”

“Shit. I fell asleep in this fucking chair!” Shelby said getting up. She noticed that Ace crawled into the bed with Bre and Nellz, he must have done that when he realized that Shelby was asleep in the chair. She walked into the room where Liz and Lulu were, and seen that Liz was sitting up in bed.

“Hey Shibbz.” Liz said smiling up at her.

Shelby walked over to her and sat down on the bed in front of her. “I'm sorry for slapping you Liz. I didn't mean it, it was just my anger...it got the best of me.”

“I understand,” She looked away. “Why didn't you tell me any of this stuff before Shibbz?”

“What stuff?” She thought Denny might have told Liz what she said to him.

“All the stuff about how much you were hurt by Lexi...how it hurt you that the two of us were friends...”

“Because I wasn't going to be that person who tells you who you can and can't be friends with. I wasn't going to sit there and make you feel guilty for being her friend. It wasn't my place anyways. Your sister used to do that shit to me, so I promised myself that I wasn't going to do that shit to you.”

“You wouldn't have been making me feel guilty, or telling me who I can and can't be friends with. You would have been opening up to me, and letting me in...”

“I'm not good at that and you know it. You know how hard it is for me to open up to people..how hard it is for me to let someone in.”

“Shibbz, how are you ever going to be happy if you don't let us in? We're your best friends. We won't hurt you.”

“How do I know Liz?” Shelby asked looking at Liz, making sure their eyes met. “Am I just supposed to believe you? Believe that you won't hurt me, just because I'm one of your best friends. Believe that when I tell you the things that go on, you won't use them against me. Believe that you'll actually stay in my life, that you won't leave me when I make a mistake. Believe that you're always on my side, even when I do something that you don't like.”

“Have I ever made you doubt me before?” Liz asked.

“Yes. Yes you have Liz. You cheated on my cousin, and that baby isn't his. You drifted away from me when I needed you most. But most of all Liz...I know that you don't love Denny...I know that you're in love with James.” Shelby said as Lulu rolled over to look at them.

“I do love Denny.”

“Sure you love him...but you're not in love with him. And you don't honestly want to marry him Liz. I know you Wife. I know when you love someone and when you don't. And by the way you look at Denny...I can tell you're not going to go through with this wedding...” Shelby said sniffling.

“Is that true Boo?” Lulu asked.

“I don't know...” Liz said looking away from the two of them...rubbing her belly.

“You have to tell him.” Shelby said staring at Liz.

“Tell who what?”

“Tell Denny that you're not in love with him. You can't just lead him on, have him think that there's going to be a wedding when you don't really love him anymore.”

“I never said I didn't love him anymore.”

“I can see it in your eyes Elizabeth. You don't love Denny, and the fact that the baby is James' is an easy way out. Just tell him, and save him the pain of a runaway bride.”

“I can't do that Shibbz.”

“You have to.”

“I can't.”

“Either you do, or I will Elizabeth. You can pick.” Shelby said as Lulu sat up.

“I can't...” Liz said.

“Then I will.” Shelby said turning to stand up. Before her feet hit the ground, Lulu grabbed her wrist, stopping her from moving.

“Shel, this is something they should do.”

“I'm not going to sit around and watch her break my cousin, Lulu! You wouldn't be sitting around if it was Denny that no longer loved Liz and wanted to call off the wedding, would you?” Shelby asked turning to look at him.

“No, I wouldn't. But this is Liz we're talking about. She's going to go through with the wedding, and she's not really going to have anything to do with James.”

“I can't sit around and watch Liz do that Lulu. She doesn't love him, why should she have to be stuck with him for the rest of her life? If she does go through with it then she's going to regret it for the rest of her life, and she'll live to resent Denny. And then one day, when the kid's 12, she's going to be pissed at Denny for something, and that's when it will come out. That's when, out of anger, she'll say that the kid is James', and by then it will be too late.”

“What makes you so sure about this?”

“I know Liz. And I know Denny. I know that this is going to happen and it's going to be bad.”

“Newsflash Shibb, you haven't been around for the past 4 years, we're not the same people that we used to be. We've grown up and we've changed.” Liz mumbled.

“Fine! You don't want me to tell Denny, I won't. You want to throw away the rest of your life, fine. And Lulu, if you want to watch, fine! But I won't just sit here and watch!” Shelby said pulling away from Lulu and walking to the door.

“Shelby! What does that mean?” Lulu asked standing up.

“It means that Liz and Denny can have their happy little fake fucking family without me. I'm gone.” She twisted the knob.

“Just like that huh? When I do something that you don't like, you leave. Did you ever stop to think that its you that has the problem Shelby? That it's not us that's going to leave, that it's you. You left the first time, and now you're the one leaving again.” Liz said looking at Shelby.

“I can't watch you throw away your life Liz. And I can't watch you pretend to love Denny. Pretend that you guys are happy together if I know that you're not. So if that means leaving again, so be it.”

“What about us Shelby?” Lulu asked walking over to her.

“I don't know Lulu. But I can't watch this blow up in flames.”

“Shibbz, we have to let them make their own mistakes.”

“This is going to crush Denny, Lulu! And you know it! What if it was me and you? What if I wasn't in love with you and I was carrying some other man's baby? And Liz knew, wouldn't you want her to tell you?” Shelby asked looking up at him.

“Yeah I'd want her to tell me..but Shibbz.”

“Don't 'But Shibbz' me Lulu. I just can't do it.”

“I love you Shelby. You can't leave me again.”

“I can't watch Liz do that to Denny.” Shelby said as the door opened.

“Do what to me?” Denny asked looking from Shelby, to Lulu, to Liz.

“I think you should talk to Liz.” Shelby said quickly leaving the room.

“Tell him.” Lulu whispered before he walked out of the room after Shelby.

“What's going on Liz?” Denny asked walking over to her.

“Nothing hun.” Liz said with a smile on her face.

“There's something going on Liz, just tell me.” Denny said sitting down in front of her, where Shelby was previously sitting.

“I love you...you know that, right?”

“Of course I know that Liz.”

“Umm...the baby...it's...not yours.” Liz said as a tear rolled down her cheeks.

“What?” Denny asked quickly standing up.

“Sit back down.”

“You just told me that the baby isn't mine, and you expect me to just sit fucking down?”

“I'm not done.”

“What else could you possibly have to say?”

“I...can't marry you.” She said looking down at her finger, then over at the nightstand where the engagement ring was.

“WHAT!?” Denny yelled.

Liz looked over at him, and quickly got off the bed and ran into the bathroom as quickly as she could.

“How could she do this?” Denny mumbled sitting down on the bed.

“Were you really going to leave?” Lulu asked sitting next to Shelby at the edge of Chanel and Bre's bed.

“I don't know...” She said looking over at Izzy in the drivers seat.

“Shibbz, you can't leave me...”

“I didn't even want to stay.” Shelby said turning to look at Lulu. “I only came to see my nana. That's all. I didn't know we were going to happen. I didn't know this was all going to happen. I...I just wanted to come, see her and leave. No new strings.”

“But shit didn't happen like that Shibbz. You got me now, and you have Liz, with her new baby. And Denny is going to need you...you can't just fucking leave again.” Lulu said as Liz ran into the bathroom, shutting the door behind herself.

“It was all easier before.” She moved her knees up to her chin, looking down at the floor. “Back when it was just Izzy and I. I didn't have to worry about letting him down, it seemed like I couldn't let him down. I didn't have to worry about him hurting me...”

“I'm not going to hurt you Shibbz.” Lulu said putting his arm around her.

“As much as you say that I still find it hard to believe.” Shelby said as Sasha walked out of the bedroom, and toward the bathroom.

“What the fuck! Who is in the bathroom?” Sasha asked knocking on the door.

“Liz...her and Denny are over.” Shelby mumbled looking in the direction of Sasha, but not directly at her.

“What? It's 10 in the morning!”

“Her baby isn't Denny's and she can't marry him...she's not in love with him.”

“What? Shibbz, you're honestly not making an sense what so ever.”

“The baby belongs to James, and Liz is in love with him, not Denny. What more is there that I can say to make you understand Sash?” Shelby asked looking up at her.

“Damn. So why is she in there? Isn't Denny supposed to be the heartbroken one?” Sasha asked sitting down next to Shelby.

“He hasn't come out of the extra room yet. I don't know what's going on with him.”

“Shouldn't you figure that one out?”

“Maybe...but at this moment, all I want is to go home.” Shelby said staring up at Sasha.

“Shibbz...I'm sorry that you feel that way.” Sasha said sitting next to Shelby.

“I don't see how she could do that to Denny. She knew that she was going to leave him. She knew that the baby wasn't his. And yet she still said that she'd marry him. How do you do that to someone?” Shelby asked turning to look at Sasha, tears streaming down her face.

“I don't know Shibbz. I honestly don't know. Maybe Liz wasn't thinking. Maybe she was caught up in the moment, the seconds when he asked her.”

“You can say no. Saying no is okay.” Shelby said as Denny walked out of the room. He walked past Shelby, Lulu and Sasha, over to the drivers seat. He tapped Izzy on the shoulder and watched as he pulled over to the right. Denny got into the drivers seat, and quickly got back onto the road, not saying a single word.

“Wanna go lay down?” Sasha asked putting her arm around Shelby.

“Yeah. Come with us?” Shelby asked looking from Lulu to Izzy.

“Yeah Shibbz.” Izzy said pulling Shelby onto her feet, as the four of them walk back into the bedroom, shutting the door behind themselves.

Briana was sitting on the couch, looking at a book that she had no intention of reading. Her attention was caught on Lulu and what she overheard yesterday. She kept shooting glances to the bedroom, debating on whether or not she should speak to him. She took a deep breath and caught him as he was walking into the bathroom. She pushed him inside and shut the door behind herself. “Listen. I heard what you said to the bitch. What you left her as a voice message. And I can't let you do what you plan on doing. I understand that you're doing it to help Shelby, but honestly Lulu, it won't help her. It's just going to hurt her. And if she knew that you were planing to make her and the bitch talk again, she would rip you a new asshole.”

“How do you know what I was planing?” Lulu asked looking Briana up and down.

“I heard you leave the message. You thought that I was asleep, but I wasn't.”

“Briana this has nothing to do with you.”

“Yes it does. It effects all of us whether you want to admit it or not.”

“Butt the fuck out Briana! This has nothing to do with you.” Lulu said opening the bathroom door as the RV stopped and Denny walked outside.

“Yo Bro!” Keith yelled standing up.

“Denny! What the fuck!” David yelled looking out the window.

“Shibbz!” Ace yelled as Shelby walked out of the bedroom. She looked around the RV before letting out a sigh and getting off to go talk to Denny.

“You okay Cuzzo?” Shelby asked putting her hands in her pockets and walking over to Denny.

He turned to look at her, tears welling up in his eyes as some slide down his cheek. “The baby isn't mine, Shibbz. She cheated on me...”

Shelby quickly looked away, not able to look Denny in the face. He stared at her, unable to come up with the words. “You knew?!”

“Liz!” Sasha yelled opening the door and letting herself in. “How are you holding up?”

Liz looked at Sasha and waited for her to sit down before she handed her the phone. “Read it.”

“Why the fuck are you going to Vegas? You have a fucking baby to start fucking thinking about, my fucking baby! Why the fuck would you need to go to fucking Vegas anyways? Gonna go marry a fucking hoe, and fuck up my baby? Cause we all know that's what's going to happen!” Sasha mumbled looking at Liz.

“How could you not fucking tell me Shelby? Like seriously?” Denny yelled walking toward Shelby.

“How could you not call me Dennis? Or come see me?”

“You're the one that left Shelby! It wasn't me! You're the one that walked out on us. The one that broke our family apart, not fucking me! You're the one that gave up on us.”

Shelby couldn't listen to what Denny was saying, so she turned on her heels and stormed away, not looking back at Denny. She walked through the RV and into the extra room, everyone watching her walk away.

Lulu seen Shelby walk away, and could tell that she was angry. He knew that Denny did something to her, that he hurt her.

“What the fuck?” Izzy asked looking in the direction that Shelby walked.

“Fucking bitch.” Lulu said getting up from the table and walking off the RV. “What the fuck did you do Denny? What the fuck did you say to her?”

“All I did was tell her the fucking truth! Not my fucking fault that she can't handle it.”

“All you fucking do is pick her apart Denny! Never once do you say a good fucking thing to her! You only fucking pick out her faults!” Lulu yelled walking over to Denny.

He turned around to look at Lulu. “Newsflash. After this “vacation” she's going to go back to Rhode Island. She's not going to stay here, even if she's with you. No matter what, she's leaving. This trip is just a final goodbye.”

“So Izzy...why'd you hook up with Shibblerz?” Keith asked looking over at Izzy. “Was it cause you were drunk, or are there actually feelings there?”

“Uhhh...” Izzy said looking away from Keith. He was about to answer Keith when Lulu stormed into the RV and straight over to Izzy.

“Are you and Shelby going back to Rhode Island when we get back to Boston, or are you staying?” Lulu asked tapping his foot.

“I have no fucking idea.” Izzy said as Lulu quickly made his way into the other room, with Keith, Izzy, David, Drew and Ace quickly behind. Lulu looked Shelby in the eyes, asking, “Are y'all going back to Rhode Island or are you staying?” Before he could finish, Denny walked into the room.

Once Denny noticed Shelby's hesitation, he looked at Lulu. “I told you so.”

Lulu couldn't stay in the room. He quickly left, as Shelby rushed off the bed and followed him. “Lulu wait! I can explain!”

He turned around, looking down at her. “How the fuck could you do that? I fucking told you that I wanted to be with you. That I love you and we were going to spend the rest of our lives together. And you're still fucking thinking about leaving!”

Briana noticed the two of them walk in, and put her phone down, knowing that this could get ugly, and fast.

Shelby looked up at Lulu before she spoke. “I had a life in Rhode Island.”

“No Shelby, you had a life here and you gave it all away to be with Izzy!”

“You don't understand!”

“No Shelby, I do understand. I understand perfectly. You solely came back to see your nana. This trip wasn't supposed to happen. These friendships weren't meant to be fixed.” When Shelby didn't reply Lulu sat down at the table, not saying another word.

Briana got off the couch when she seen Lulu walking over to the table. She walked into the room where Sasha, Liz, and Chanel were sitting. She sat down and told them that Shelby and Lulu were fighting again. She then went on to explain that it was all because Shelby was still thinking about going back to Rhode Island.

“What the fuck! I thought she was fucking staying!?” Liz yelled, her anger obvious.

“I thought this trip was supposed to fix the broken pieces.” Sasha said beating herself up mentally.