Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's Note: I am so weird. I can write oneshots and drabbles quicker than a lot of people can, and yet I have writer's block on all—count 'em, all—of my long stories. What is with me?

Hopefully you all don't mind me writing lots of oneshots—that's all I seem to be inspired for lately. Hopefully you enjoy this one!

Summary: Nobody ever wants summer to end. Except her. She can't wait for it to be over. ShaneMitchie.

Summer's End
by PiperPaigePhoebe01

The end of summer.

It's a time both teens and adults dread, a time where the days tick by, one after the other in a wave of ice cream, tank tops and shorts, until June, July, August all pass and September looms right before you, like a great monster that whispers, gently at first, It's time for school. And then the voice gets louder and more insistent. Time for school, time for school.

Nobody wants summer to end—some people just want to get back to doing something worthwhile, instead of just hanging out and doing nothing all day long, but they don't want the leisure, the happiness, the sense of relaxation to end.

No, summer should last forever.

Especially this summer.

Mitchie Torres, girl of a mere sixteen, thought these things and sighed, staring out at the home she'd known for the past month.

Funny, isn't it, how I think of this place as home?

She doesn't think it because she's somehow unhappy with her regular home (she's as happy as she can be there, it's comfortable, and it's the only place that has a place she can really only call hers—her bedroom), but she thought it because she didn't want to leave, because it had given her the best summer of her life.

She didn't think it was possible.

But it was.

Her trademark smile spread across her face as she took in the sights before her—Ella, talking to Jason about something, Peggy and Tess talking quietly in the corner together (they were probably trying to see if they could still be friends; Mitchie hoped so), Caitlyn and Nate heading off somewhere privately, and then... there was him, sitting on the opposite side of the room, his eyes far away, as if he was deep in thought.

Him.

Shane Gray.

The egotistical rock star phenomenon that had been obsessed with her song—hers, plain old Mitchie Torres' song!—for weeks. The rock star that had gone back to his roots, gone back to loving music, all because of her. And the cocky, yet somehow sweet, guy that Mitchie had fell for—and maybe he had even fallen for her too, who was to guess?

Her, her, her.

Who would have suspected it?

The plain old Mitchie Torres wrote a song that the biggest rock star in America loved. And not only that, but she became his friend, his later ex-friend, and then... something else. She sang with him, and now things were spiraling in a direction she didn't expect.

God, I like him.

She meant for that to sound like a curse, but it came out—in her head, anyway—sounding like a praise. What was with her brain lately?

I can't believe this.

I can't I can't I can't...

A touch on her arm stopped the mantra from getting much further. Mitchie jumped, staring at the person who had interrupted her.

Of course.

It was him.

"Mitch, I think we need to talk."

Her heart stopped in her chest for a moment, then resumed its beating a hundred times faster. She nodded without a word, letting him lead her out of the room, with the surprised and yet excited gazes from her new friends following her every move.

It took her until the door closing behind them with a creak for words to come out of her mouth.

"About what?" she asked.

Shane didn't seem to notice the lull. "Summer's almost over," he began. "You'll be going home, won't you?" Mitchie nodded, not understanding (or maybe not letting herself understand). Shane continued. "And I'll be going back to Hollywood to film our new music video."

This time, Mitchie actually was confused.

"Why couldn't you say this in front of Peggy and the rest?"

"Because." He paused. "Because that's not all I have to say."

Mitchie nodded, her heart trying desperately to beat harder than it already was. "Come on, Shane," she said, feigning a light attitude about the whole thing—whatever this thing was. "Just spit it out. I won't bite you if it's something I don't want to hear."

There was a pause.

And then Shane's lips were on hers.

Shock registered through her entire body in a nanosecond, and then—and then she was letting things happen, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him back, lightly at first, but gradually with more force. She felt light, like she was walking on clouds.

Is this really happening? Am I really kissing Shane Gray?

Oh, God, I am. And he's kissing me.

Thoughts whirled through her brain distantly, but somehow, all she could feel and taste were Shane's lips on hers. She never wanted it to end.

But end it did.

(Sort of like summer, she found herself thinking.)

"W-what was that all about?" Mitchie asked, breathless.

"I'm going to miss you, Mitchie," Shane responded, his eyes sparking with an odd emotion. "And I just wanted you to have that before I leave."

Suddenly the kiss sounded like a (beautiful) goodbye.

"You're saying goodbye."

The words were stiff, said in a monotone.

"No."

Passion.

Confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Shane smiled, taking a step closer to her. "Well, I am saying goodbye," he began, and Mitchie's emotions fell. "But if you don't want me to, it doesn't have to be forever."

More confusion. "I say this again. What are you talking about?"

Shane let out a soft laugh. "I'm saying, Mitchie, if you would give me a chance to do so, that I'll be able to come visit you soon. Or maybe not soon—not during the summer, at least, but after school starts for you. Probably during October or November."

"Are you serious?" Mitchie asked.

"Yeah."

A small smile spread across Mitchie's face.

"I'd like that."

"Good." He lightened the atmosphere. "I was worried I might have to lie and come anyway if you didn't want me to. I don't think your mom would like me climbing up to your window at night."

Mitchie laughed. "No."

Silence.

"So. I'll see you in a few months?"

"Of course."

They didn't say anything for another moment, but then, before she realized it, Shane's lips were touching hers once more, lightly. This time the kiss really did feel like a goodbye—a beautiful goodbye, one that was light and fleeting, one that said the goodbye was only temporary.

They would meet again.

In the fall, yes, but meeting in the fall is better than nothing.

(Didn't she hear somewhere that fall was the season for remembrance?)

And summer was almost over anyway.

Before she knew it, it would be fall. And it would be time for school, when the weather cooled off slightly, the leaves turned the beautiful autumn colors she loved so, and winter continually felt like it was only a hairs-breadth away.

And then it would be time for him.

Mitchie smiled lightly, breaking away from the kiss.

"I can't wait for summer to be over."

Scratch what I said before.

Nobody wants summer to be over.

Except me.

-

Author's Note: Aw, fluff. I really had fun writing this and I hope you had fun reading it! Please review and tell me what you think? Thanks!