Chapter One

My name is Mitchie Torres, I am sixteen years old and I am a full time carer for my mom. She has Motor Neurone Disease, it was okay when I was eight all I had to do was put clothes out for her and help her with the exercises but now she is bedridden unless I am able to lift her into her special wheelchair to take her out, but I only do that when I know people aren't going to be staring. Where's my dad, you may ask, well he's got a new wife, a wife who isn't dying who is completely healthy, for the past two years I have skipped middle school, so that I can care for my mom.

Some days are better than others, some day's my mom can speak and she says how much she resents me, she appears to hate me. Not once in my life has someone told me they love me, if they did I can't remember. My only release is my music, I spend as much free time as possible writing music and singing playing my guitar, I long to be able to go to a summer music camp called Camp Rock I had applied this year, but hadn't thought anymore about it since I don't have anyone to look after my mom and the price is pretty high too.

My alarm clock rang loudly and I groaned and got out of bed, mom would need waking in an hour. I walked downstairs, and put on Hot Tunes, there was another report about Shane Gray. The very attractive lead singer of Connect 3, he was going through a phase of being a jerk, and apparently even his brothers/bandmates had gotten fed up of him, they had cancelled their summer tour. I hoped that he would sort himself out as their music is good.

I looked at the time, time to get mom up and ready for the day. "Hey mom," I said. "Let's get you some breakfast, I filled the special bag and attached the feeding tube. "You're still here are you," she slurred, "Why haven't you gone to that stupid camp,"
"Because you need to be looked after," I said.
"Oh so now I'm a burden to you," she slurred. "Why can't you get your dad to help,"
"Because he's too busy with his blond whore," I said. "And anyway he left,"
"Yeah because of you," said my mom.

"Okay well I'll leave you to it okay," I said, after changing the waste bags. I washed my hands and then went downstairs to do the laundry and ironing. It was just coming up to midday when the doorbell rang. I frowned we didn't normally get visitors. I answered and in the doorway stood my dad and a man I'd seen before but never actually met.

"Mitchie sweetie," said my dad. "Let us in,"
"Fine," I said. "Can I get you a drink," I gestured to the man, who was the owner of Camp Rock.
"I'm fine poppet," he said in an English accent. "Okay let's cut to the chase, I got your application and I could see how much you wanted to come, I knew your dad here way back in the day, so I got into contact and after stern words from me he realised he'd made a mistake,"
"You got that right," I glared at my dad.
"Anyway, he has paid for you to come to Camp Rock, and has decided to step up and help out with your mom," said the man.

"What's the catch," I said.
"There isn't one," he said. "Now then I recommend that you pack some things we need to get going, you'll be there a day early,"
"Oh my gosh, thank you so much sir," I said.
"You don't need to call me sir, the name's Brown," he said.

I ran upstairs, and put some clothes in a sports bag, I really didn't have much. I grabbed my guitar and put some toiletries into a smaller bag and then I was ready. "Is that all you have," said my dad.
"Well I've never really had time to get things myself," I said. "I haven't even been to school for two years,"
"I'm sorry Mitchie, I really am," he said.
"That may be so, but you are going to have to work really hard to earn my trust and only then will I consider forgiving you," I said. I gave him a list of mom's medication, it also said when they had to be taken and how.

I sighed as I followed Brown out of the house. "She'll be fine Mitchie," he said. "Now then hop in, we have a long journey ahead of us," I got into the car, and it was silent for about an hour or so. "So why did you set up Camp Rock," I said.
"Good question," he said. "I had tried to become a rock star myself, but it didn't work out as well as I'd hoped, so I decided to teach people how to do it," he said.
"I heard Connect 3 formed there, that must be cool," I said.
"Well they got it from me, I'm their uncle," he said.
"Really," I said.

"Yes," he said. "But they're going through a rough time at the moment,"
"I heard Shane is being a jerk, but I don't believe he wants to be like that," I said. "I mean he never seemed like that in the beginning,"
"He doesn't want to be like that, but their parents are going through a divorce, and their mom's taking it hard," he said. "But I won't tell you anymore than that,"
"I wouldn't expect you too," I said. "I know what it's like to go through something like that,"
"I know," he said. "They're coming this summer actually, I hope they'll feel better soon,"

"It does get better," I said. "But the pain never goes away,"
"So what is wrong with your mom," he said.
"She has Motor Neurone Disease," I said. "She has her good days and bad days, she hates me,"
"She doesn't hate you," he said.
"She does, she tells me all the time," I said.
"Maybe she doesn't want you seeing her like that," he said.
"No, they've never told me they love me ever," I said.
"Well that's such a shame," he said. "But enough of that now, we're here,"