Love, Me

by angellwings

Chapter One

The next artist to become a sensation from Camp Rock after Connect Three wasn't Mitchie with her library of song books or Caitlyn with her drive and ambition or even Tess riding on the coat tails of her famous mother. No, it was Ella Pador. Ella Pador who became very frustrated with her friends the summer after Camp Wars and wrote a song to tell them about it. Ella Pador who won Final Jam that year and scored a publishing deal with a huge label in Los Angeles.

She spent a year writing songs for other artists and working with other writers to really learn about composition. Her songs became some of the most sought after pop songs in the industry and she wrote multiple hits over the course of the year. And then finally she was offered a deal of her own. Her first single was the very song she'd won Final Jam with and it sky rocketed to the top of the charts. Her next two singles followed suit.

A year and a half after she won Final Jam, she was opening for Connect Three. When the opportunity arose to have her on tour with them they jumped at it. She was the opener immediately before them and had a solid 45 minute set. They were all worried at first because their audiences typically didn't react all too well to female opening acts but Ella charmed them all week after week.

It was that tour that really brought Ella closer to the boys. They were experienced in the business and she wasn't. She didn't quite trust her manager, who was also her father's manager. So, when she needed to mull over a decision she came to them. When she needed help with a song or to decide on her next single she went to Nate. When she needed tips about stage presence and working with a crowd? Shane. When she needed advice on how to be polite to fans even when they're shockingly crazy? Jason. She seemed to come to Nate more than the other two however and he found he didn't mind one bit.

They were living in a tour bubble. The only news you really heard had to do with your next show, the only people you really talked to were a part of your tour or your crew, the only fans you were really concerned with were the ones in front of you every night. There always came a point in the tour where the bubble burst and Nate could feel it coming. The real world was about to come crashing in on them.

She rushed into their pre-show green room with her phone in one hand a piece of paper in the other and he knew that this was the moment. The moment that would bring the real world crashing in on them.

She sat down next to him with a huff and slumped her shoulders.

"I'm not going to like this," Nate told her immediately.

"The label doesn't like my pick for the next single," she told him with a furrowed brow. "They say it's too similar to my previous singles."

"It's a totally different tempo and has not one similar chord. How exactly is it all similar?" He asked her in confusion.

"It has a 'message'," she said as she rolled her eyes. " 'This Moment', 'Who Says', and 'Firework' all had a message and they say they want something different."

"They're all completely different songs and they're the songs that gained you a following. Why fix something that isn't broken?" Nate asked her with a shake of his head.

"That's what I said, but they insist. They want something upbeat and they want to do a remixed radio version with a rap added into it. So they want me to pick something that'll fit that," she told him as she bit her bottom lip. She looked like she wanted to say something else but was hesitant to.

"You have one in mind already don't you?" He asked her.

"One of the songs I recorded on this album was one I wrote at Camp and that I used to perform. You didn't like it then and I don't think you'll like it now. Considering who I wrote it with…"

He closed his eyes and groaned. "Ella, no."

"It's a hit every time I perform it," she said logically. "People go crazy for it and there's a rap already written for it that we know fits in very well and my co-writer has a solid five top 10 singles on his discography, Nate. It just makes—"

"You'd have to record, perform, and promote it with Luke Williams," he told her with a roll of his eyes.

"I know and I hate him as much as you do but he and I did work very well together back at Camp when we had to. Believe it or not when he's focused on working he's not completely unreasonable," she assured him. "And added bonus, 'Intuition' has a bit of a message. I could kill two birds with one stone."

He had to admit it was the best compromise in the face of what the label wanted and Luke had mellowed since Camp. Maybe he wasn't the jerk he used to be.

"What do you think?" She asked worriedly.

"It makes sense," he said slowly. "It's a smart compromise too. Everyone gets what they want. I think…I think it's smart, Ella. Really I do. I don't like it, but it's definitely the best choice."

"Thank you!" Ella said as she launched herself at him with a huge hug. "I know it's my decision to make but having your support means the world, Nate."

He smiled softly and hugged her in return. "You're always gonna have that, Ells. Trust me."

The label accepted the offer and as luck would have Ella didn't actually have to interact with Luke face to face. She called him, he agreed, and he recorded his part of the remix separately since both Ella and Luke were touring. They did phone interviews and separate appearances on television due to conflicting schedules and Nate thought they'd actually escaped from this without being face to face with him until Ella got word that the label wanted a music video. They felt this single would outperform all her previous ones and they wanted a music video to spread around online. And they wanted Luke and Ella in the same room.

So, she took a weekend off from the tour to go out to California and film it. She came back with the news that she and Luke were dating. He'd been right, that day weeks ago had been the end of the bubble. It hurt. For some reason, Ella dating Luke hurt. It didn't make sense. She had the right to date who ever she wanted to date. She seemed happy. Luke was treating her right from what he saw. Occasionally the Luke from Camp Star made an appearance but Ella would give him a look and an apology soon followed. He seemed to adore Ella completely, and it didn't hurt sales of their single or the views for their video. The label was right. It was Ella's biggest hit yet.

Their tour was coming to an end and the label had surprised Ella with announcing that she and Luke would be co-headlining their own tour. They had three months to prepare a show and then they'd be touring for five.

He and Ella were sitting on his balcony in his hotel room on the last night of the tour. They were enjoying the stars and the moonlight and a couple of celebratory beers when she said, "I feel like everything is about to change."

She didn't say it in a hopeful way. She said in a thoughtful bittersweet tone that he'd never heard from her before.

"You're on the edge of something great, Ells," Nate assured her. "This tour is going to put you on the map in a way your music hasn't yet."

"I feel like I'm going to lose all of you, though," Ella said honestly. "I like being here with you and Jason and Shane. I still get to see Caitlyn and Mitchie when they come to visit you guys and it feels like…it feels like old times."

"What? You think we're not going to drop in on you?" Nate asked as he bumped her shoulder playfully. "Trust me, we'll all visit. We're dying to see you on your own stage. You were born for this, Ella. You deserve all of it."

She smiled warmly at him and then rested her head on his shoulder. "I think I'll miss you most of all, Scarecrow."

He chuckled at her. "I'll be sure to tell that to Tin Man and Cowardly Lion."

"Don't you dare!" She said as she smacked his arm. "Well, maybe Shane. His ego could use a bit of a blow. Maybe realizing he's not my favorite will help."

His eyes widened. "You were serious? I'm your favorite?"

She laughed and leaned over to slowly kiss his cheek. "You've always been my favorite, Nathaniel."

Their faces were inches apart and they both knew they should move but neither could. Ella's eyes flickered to his lips and then back up to his eyes and he knew what she was thinking. He was thinking it too. But they couldn't. They shouldn't.

"Ella," Nate said softly. "Are you happy? With Luke, I mean?"

That seemed to break the spell and she immediately backed away from him. "I—yes, I am. He's a very good boyfriend, actually. Surprisingly."

"I'm glad," he said with a sad smile. "Really, I am. But…"

"But?" She asked.

"If that ever changes," he said as he took a deep fortifying breath. "Let me know. Okay?"

She smiled softly at him and nodded. "Okay."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

The tour ended and their relationship became distant. Not by choice. They kept in touch through e-mails and texts but neither had time for visits or phone calls. He recorded all of her interviews and watched them in his few quiet moments. She and Luke were still going strong, in fact they seemed stronger than ever. He'd moved on too. He realized he would never be over Ella. Something about her was different but she was taken and he couldn't drown in that. He started dating a nice girl who wasn't in show business at all. She was an accountant and very sweet. She didn't know he was famous until their second date and he liked it that way. She genuinely didn't care about his celebrity status.

Ella and Luke had finished putting together their show and it had opened the night before in Vegas. He woke up the next morning to a very excited text.

"OMG I'M MARRIED. I CAN'T BELIEVE IT. And we were sober the WHOLE time."

He blinked at it several times. He tried falling back to sleep, thinking maybe he'd wake up and this would have been part of a nightmare, but nothing changed the text message waiting for him on his phone. What are you supposed to say when the girl you're in love with marries someone else?

"Congrats, Ells. That's huge! Are you happy?"

Her response came back very quickly.

"Beyond happy."

"Then I'm happy for you too."

"Thank you, Nathaniel."

He couldn't bring himself to respond after that. He just couldn't.

The Ella Pador/Luke Williams tour sold out. Every city, every show, every date. If you didn't buy them the minute they became available then you'd have to brave the scalpers for a ridiculously inflated ticket price. And people actually did. That's how in demand Ella and Luke were. They were America's Sweethearts. Everywhere he looked there they were. The whole Camp Rock group went to one show and they were blown away. Ella's wardrobe was completely her. Fluffy skirts that sparkled all over and dance breaks that made you wonder how she kept going for the whole show. She threw in a few songs from the new album she'd started working on and he noticed more and more of her songs were pop fluff with very little lyrical meat. Not that there was anything wrong with that. Connect Three made a living off of that. But it wasn't Ella. Ella loved that her songs always had a lesson to teach or an encouraging message. She seemed to be stepping away from that, though. He supposed it was inevitable.

Her first single off of her next album outsold every previous song she'd released and her album broke sales records when it was released a month later. She'd achieved Superstar status. Every single she released sold more and more and was nearly played out on the radio. Though, she'd left the inspiring messages behind her. She'd become the party anthem queen with a few puppy love pop songs thrown in. Five hit singles and a year and a half later he read that the label rewarded her with her own worldwide headlining arena tour. It was the stuff of every artists dreams. He texted her congratulations. Her response concerned him.

"Thanks! I haven't decided if I should though."

What? Why would you debate that? It was a no brainer. That's what he told her. She followed it with something that made him shake his head.

"Luke's been really stressed lately and I feel like I should be here for him, you know?"

Luke's once promising career had all but halted. His album tanked and his singles received no radio play. If he were Luke he'd be stressed too but he'd never hold Ella back. He wouldn't want to ever hold her back.

"Has he asked you not to go?" he texted her curiously.

"Not in so many words. I don't know. He mentioned wanting to take it easy. Just me and him. Sort of settle down."

She literally just got started. There would be plenty of time to settle down later.

"Ella, this is your career and your dream. Don't you think he'll support that?"

"Of course he would." She responded quickly. And then, after a pause: "He loves me."

And for the first time, Nate doubted Ella's happiness.

"Ells, are you happy?" He texted.

"Most of the time." She replied honestly. "No major complaints."

For Ella, that was as good as a no.

"Go on tour, Ella, you earned it. If Luke really loves you then he'll cope."

"It is a really good opportunity and I've started working on the next album. I could try out some new songs."

"See? It's perfect."

"Totally, you're right. No question."

She moved forward with the tour. It was the most anticipated tour of the year. Even more anticipated than Connect Three's upcoming tour. He was so proud. He made sure to get tickets to at least three shows. No way was he going to miss this. He knew she'd put on one hell of a show.