A/N: okay, so this si the second ever maitlyn fic I've written. I've been working on it for a while, and have now realized I probably need to write a second chapter. But it'll be shorter. Probably :)
Anyway, I hope it's good! Cos maitlyn rocks!!! :D So enjoy.
It was a lazy summer afternoon, nearing evening but not quite there yet. The sun was warm, they sky was peaceful and the neighbourhood was quiet, most likely doing the same thing Mitchie was. Relaxing.
Her hair was tied back loosely, without a second thought. Her clothes, a cool, flowing green dress. A pair of worn flip-flops adorned her feet as they rested on the railing of the veranda and she slouched down in her chair comfortably, book in her hands though she wasn't really reading it. Not bothering to open her heavy eye lids the teen reached blindly for the Ipod resting in her lap and fiddled for a moment before finding the right button and switching to the next song.
She'd hardly done anything else all day. It was one of those just too hot summer days where you crank up the air con, put on the lightest, least possible amount of clothing and do nothing. But, as she had a hard time forgetting, she was doing something tonight.
It had been a two months since Camp Rock ended, and they'd all done their best to keep in touch. It was hard though. A lot of them lived states away from each other, so the most they could do was chat on the phone and email each other every now and then. It just wasn't quite the same. The only person she'd seen in person since the end of camp was Shane, who'd made an effort to come down in his jet and see her regularly.
Caitlyn called her sometimes, and they'd talk on the phone for hours, laughing loudly and grinning at just the sound of each others voice until her mother would come in and tell her it was late, time to say goodnight. And then they'd whisper softly, trying desperately to keep it down so their conversation could last just a little bit longer.
It was during one of their conversations whispered in the dark of the night that the idea had arose, to have a Camp Rock reunion. Mitchie had spent the next three days buzzing round her house excitedly, helping arrange everything. Calling and emailing everyone and figuring out all the gritty details. And then it was all just waiting. Slow, painful waiting that felt like nails scraping down a chalkboard.
Now the day was finally here.
She had arranged a ride to get there.
She had gotten the okay from her mum, though it had taken a bit of explaining. And convincing. And begging.
She had her clothes all set out neatly on her bed. Three possible outfits she couldn't decide between, because she had to look perfect and gorgeous and she had to take Caitlyn's breath away.
And she was almost ready.
She could feel the warm afternoon light fading slowly, ebbing away as evening began to take over. It was time to get ready. Mitchie yawned tiredly and paused her music as she began to sit up and straighten herself out. Her street was bathed in that last orange light as the sun sunk low in the sky, nearing the horizon of burnt red rooftops. She wished she had her song book with her right then, but it was up in her room, so with one last lingering look she quickly turned on her heels and headed inside.
She had written out a list of what she had to do. A little schedule for getting ready so she wasn't late. It didn't quite work out though, just like always. Her shower took longer because she managed to blind herself with shampoo. Her hair dryer wouldn't work so she was forced to use her mothers old one in the downstairs bathroom. By the time she got to choosing her outfit, she didn't have much time to choose.
Biting down on her lip Mitchie stared at her selections worriedly, her eyes darting between them undecidedly. After a moment she reached down and moved one outfit off to the side, taking it out of the competition and leaving only two.
"The blue and green one, with that cute little belt round the middle, that will look adorable on you sweety!" her mother told her, pointing to her selection. Her daughter jumped, not having even heard her mother come in.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you dear, I was just going to tell you that your ride's here but I'll tell him you'll be down in a minute" she laughed, patting the teen on the shoulder before exiting the bedroom again just as quietly. Mitchie sighed, looking down at the dress her mother had suggested and smiling.
"Right. The black and white one it is then!" she muttered, picking up the other dress instead.
xxxxx
"Wow!". Mitchie blushed at the statement, starring at her feet as she walked down the last two steps to reach the bottom of the stairs where her ride was waiting.
"Wow" he repeated, beaming at her excitedly as he grasped the cold, jagged keys in his right hand tightly. She looked absolutely stunning. The other teen laughed and shook her head at him, feeling embarrassed under his bold stare.
"Shane, stop it!" she giggled, pushing him lightly though her smile didn't waver, any girl would be giddy to have Shane Grey look at them like that and she knew she should too. She felt bad that she didn't. She should be going weak at the knee's when he gave her that cocky smile and held out his hand to take hers. She just felt excited at the thought of who she'd be seeing once they got there. The person who did make her giddy and weak at the knee's and everything else your supposed to feel when your in love.
Taking his hand in her left hand and clutching her purse protectively in her right she put on a smile more confident than she really felt and they headed out the door. The evening air filled her lungs, cool compared to what it had been like in the heat of the day though it still retained some warmth. Shane's car was parked at the bottom of the drive way, Jason and Nate waiting in the front seats and smiling up at them anxiously as they arrived.
"Come on guys, we're going to be late!" Nate called out as they reached the car and began to climb in, onto the soft leather seats. Mitchie laughed, shaking her head at him and leaning into the front to pull Jason into a hug before he began to pull out.
Sighing, she relaxed back into her comfortable seat, running her hand back and forth across seat belt absent mindedly. That smell of new leather filled the car air, adding to the very expensive feel. She felt out of place, sitting neatly on the seat starring out the window. She remembered the one time after camp she'd gotten to see Caitlyn.
Her mother had been heading up that way for Connie's Catering and she'd gone along, only really because she knew Caitlyn around there. The other girl had picked her up from the hotel in this old car. It had worn seats, no air con and smelt a mixture of peppermint and cigarette smoke. It was the best drive of her life.
They'd sat cross legged, shoes leaving dirt marks on the seats that blended in with the many others already there. Caitlyn's farther turned the radio up and all three of them sung at the tops of their lungs to the tunes they all knew. They drew pictures on the fogged over windows and laughed at all of the future music producer's hilarious jokes and her father's rather lame ones.
She sighed, her breath hitting the glass of the window without leaving a mark and she reached up a finger to write an invisible message addressed to the stars illuminated in the night sky. Shane's reflection loomed over her, eyes narrowed in irritation.
"Careful, you'll smudge the glass. This is a new car you know!" he muttered and she rolled her eyes. He was still a jerk sometimes, and most of the time he didn't even realize. Some people can never really change. Not completely. She'd given him the benefit of the doubt, as she always did.
Sometimes she wished she'd have the guts to look Shane Grey in the eye and say "your still a jerk. I don't love you. It's over". But the words seemed much too harsh. She could just imagine the look in his eyes, like a wounded puppy dog. And what would be the point when the person she wanted to be with wouldn't want to be with her anyway. She was better off staying with him, putting up with him being a jerk some of the time and savouring the moments when he could be sweet.
Mitchie bit her lip as she felt his hand grasp hers where it lay limply on the seat beside her. It was his way of saying sorry when he couldn't manage the words. He tugged at her bracelet and she turned to him, eye brows raised questioningly. He gave her that classic Shane Grey smile and leaned in to kiss her confidently.
Their lips brushed, his firm and slightly rough against hers so soft and smooth. She tried to imagine it was Caitlyn, like she always did, but she knew if she ever got to kiss the other girl it would be so much more heavenly than this. And then the car halted abruptly, giving her an excuse to quickly pull away, looking round to see why they'd stopped.
Outside her window was a garden lit with strings of fairy lights, buzzing with familiar noises of chatter and laughter and filled with the sweet melody of music. Her eyes scanned the crowd, spotting familiar faces everywhere but not quite the right one. And yet the scene seemed distant as she watched it from behind the glass barrier.
Taking in a deep breath she pulled at the handle and pushed open the door. The mild night air blew over her skin pleasantly, the sounds where no longer muffled, the lights no longer dimmed. It was all real and right there. She grinned, stepping out of the car and closing the door firmly behind her.
"Mitchie!" she was attacked by a blonde as soon as she set foot on the step path as Tess pulled her into a hug. The brunette blushed uncertainly, surprised at the other girl actually being happy to see her after everything that had gone on at camp. But it seemed that unlike Shane she actually had changed.
"Tess, hey. How are you?" she asked, raising her voice slightly to be heard above the noise. The other girl grinned back at her excitedly and her enthusiasm soon began to rub off on Mitchie who found herself bubbling over with excitement as well.
"I'm awesome. This was such a great idea" she replied, beginning to walk down the path towards the house and expecting Mitchie to follow like she was used to people doing "Your look great by the way, that's such a cute dress" she added as they reached the open front door and crossed the thresh hold.
"Umm… thanks" the brunette mumbled, Tess complimenting her felt weird and not quite right. She guessed it was probably going to take some getting used to. She knew that the blond beside her continued talking, but she never heard a word the other girl said because at that moment she finally spotted Caitlyn.
Her blood rushed. Her heart raced. Her stomach was doing flips. Caitlyn was standing there completely unaware, laughing at something Sander had said. Her soft, brown curls where bouncing as she moved, hanging down over her shoulders lightly. She was tugging at the strap of her vibrant green dress, which no-one but her could have pulled off, and looking absolutely stunning in it.
"Mitchie? You okay?" Mitchie came crashing back to reality as Tess began to ask her worriedly and loudly, waving a hand in front of the brunette's eyes. She blushed, tearing her eyes away from Caitlyn and looking back at the blond beside her.
"Uhh... yea. Fine. Just… wow. This is so awesome" she grinned, running a hand through her hair nervously while mentally trying to restrain herself from glancing over at Caitlyn again. Feeling a pair of hands slide around her waist she couldn't hide the grimace that spread over her features and she knew that Tess saw it too.
"Woa, babe. We lost you for a moment there. You just rushed off" came Shane's voice from behind her as he hugged her tightly and looked round. The blond watching them was giving Mitchie a confused look but he didn't seem to notice as he finally spotted her and grinned excitedly.
"Tess, hey" he laughed, releasing his girlfriend to give the other girl a quick hug hello. Mitchie sighed, glad to be out of his arms again. Not being able to restrain herself any longer she stole another glance at Caitlyn. The other brunette was now chatting to Nick and Jason, her bright smile lighting up the room. For a moment she looked over, catching Mitchie's eye and causing her to blush profusely before looking away. 'Oh god she caught me' the singer bit her lip worriedly and began pulling at the straps of her dress suddenly feeling nervous.
Tess and Shane where deep in conversation about Shane's new album so she decided to leave them and see about finding herself something to drink. She wandered down the hall a little till she found the kitchen and began pouring herself a soda. The house was the kind of place she could imagine Caitlyn living. Big, but no too big. Spacious enough anyway. A little messy, with signs of wear, without being tacky or run down. It felt like a home not a house as her mother would say. Unlike Shane's place.
"Mitchie!". Her stomach churned as she instantly recognised the voice.
"Man. I saw you in there living room before and I was gunna come over and say hi and then suddenly you where gone. I was wondering if I was losing my mind but Tess said she saw you heading down the hall. That is a really cute dress by the way…" Caitlyn rambled on a little as she walked over to the bench. Mitchie smiled warmly, feeling completely wrapped in the other girl. There where some times when she could hear Caitlyn speaking but she'd be so busy listening to sweet sound of her voice she hardly heard what she was saying.
"Hey!" she replied, feeling a little awkward, and was about to say more when the other girl pulled her into a tight hug. The singer's cheeks turned a deep shade of red as she wrapt her arms round the other brunette's waist and hugged her back. After a little too long they finally pulled apart and Caitlyn jumped up onto the bench to sit beside her friend grinning broadly.
"It's been too long. I mean, since I saw you anyway. I talked to you just the other day on the phone. But it's… it's not the same" Mitchie mumbled, eyes falling to the floor as she examined the chequered kitchen tiles. The other girl laughed, picking up Mitchie's drink and taking a sip.
"Yea, it has. Man I miss camp. I mean, not the whole drama of last camp, but all the people. And the good times we had" she smiled, eye's looking of to the side as she reminisced.
"Do you mean before or after I was a major jerk and lied to everyone?" Mitchie asked, still feeling guilty over the whole thing. Especially for lying to Caitlyn. Now, she couldn't see how she could have possibly want to hang out with Tess over her. But then, all that was before she really fell for the other girl.
"Hey, don't beat yourself up over it. The past is the past. As long as we have no repeats! So… how's Shane?" Caitlyn raised her eye brows questioningly. Mitchie sighed, rolling her eyes and leaning into her friend. Shane was terrible. He was annoying and a total jerk and she just wanted to break up with him.
"He's great" she muttered half heartedly.
"Boy, you sure sound enthusiastic. What's up?" Caitlyn asked her, starting to look a little worried. After a moment's paused Mitchie began to open her mouth to speak when they where interrupted by Shane. The pop star strode in, smiling broadly as he spotted Mitchie and walked over to where the other girls where chatting.
"Hey Caitlyn!" he greeted her cheerfully before wrapping an arm round his girlfriends waist and leaning in to kiss her. Mitchie was caught between two emotions as Shane pressed his lips on hers. On the one hand, she desperately wanted Caitlyn to feel jealous, though she knew that would never happen. And on the other hand, she hated kissing Shane in front of her crush. Partly because she felt awkward imagining she was really kissing Caitlyn with her sitting right there. Finally he pulled away again, that cocky smirk still spread across his face.
"Shane, hey" the other girl muttered, an odd expression on her face as she watched them. Mitchie decided it must just be concern and confusion, because of the conversation they'd been about to have when he strode in. Her boyfriend quickly started up a conversation with Caitlyn, something about his latest tour around Europe, the other girl didn't really seem interested though and Mitchie wasn't listening at all. She was thinking about how Shane's arm felt like an iron shackle clasped around her waist. And how much more perfectly Caitlyn's arm would fit there, like it was moulded just to fit that shape.
"Umm… I'm sorry Shane but would you mind if I borrowed Mitchie for a bit? There's something I wanted to ask her. Girl stuff… you know" Caitlyn asked, batting her eyes at him sweetly. His smile dropped instantly but she knew he wouldn't actually say no. He nodded curtly, placing one last, quick kiss on Mitchie's lips before Caitlyn dragged her off up the stairs.
"Oh thank you, my saviour!" Mitchie giggled as soon as they where out of ear shot of her boyfriend. She wasn't sure where they were going, but as long as Caitlyn was holding her hand she didn't care. They came to a stop outside a brightly decorated door and Mitchie guessed straight away where they were. Caitlyn's room. The other girl walked inside, waiting till Mitchie was in before shutting the door behind them and walking over to crash on her bed.
"Okay. What's up? And don't even try and say nothing. I know you Mitchie Torres, and something is most definitely up!" Caitlyn stated, patting the spot beside her on the crumpled orange doona cover. With a heavy sigh the singer did as she was told, sitting down next to her friend and fiddling with her hands nervously as she decided how best to say it so that no more questions would be asked that could reveal a deeper secret.
"I… I don't feel that way about Shane anymore. I don't think" she mumbled, not looking Caitlyn in the eye as she spoke. When she stared into those gorgeous honey brown orbs she was lost and found herself saying things she didn't want to.
"Oh Mitchie" the other girl gave her a sad look in sympathy, though she didn't sound very upset at all "but I thought you where head over heals for Mr pop star. What happened?" she asked gently, putting a hand on her friends knee. Mitchie closed her eyes for a moment, her skin crawling at Caitlyn's gentle touch and sending a shiver down her spine.
"I just… I'm not sure I ever really liked him. I mean, I thought he was nice, sure. And definitely cute. But…" she trailed off, not knowing how to finish that sentence. She'd said to much already, more than she'd meant to. Being in such close proximately with her crush and the rich scent of the other girls sweet perfume was driving her crazy. Caitlyn sighed, placing a soft hand beneath Mitchie's chin and lifting her head so there eyes met trying to coax her into continuing what she had been about to say. Under that questioning hazel brown gaze Mitchie could feel herself melting.
"But he wasn't the one I really wanted. I couldn't have them, so I tried to convince myself I wanted him instead. But it doesn't work. Because he's nothing compared to them. So now I don't know what to do. I am so hopelessly in love with them, I can't control these feelings. And what do I do about Shane? I don't want to hurt his feelings…" she mumbled, finding herself distracted as her eyes wandered down towards Caitlyn's supple pink lips.
"No matter what happens, someone's going to get hurt. It's better to tell the truth, because it will come out eventually, and we all know what happened last time. If you really don't feel that way about Shane anymore then you need to tell him. And then you can tell the person you really like…" Caitlyn told her, a look of complete seriousness on her face as she passed on her advice. Mitchie nodded slowly, tearing her eyes away from the distraction of her friends lips.
"Tell the person that I like? Oh no no no… I don't need to brake up with Shane because I already know I have no chance with the person I really like. If I told them how I feel about them, they'd freak!" she exclaimed, a whole wave of emotions rushing through her at just the thought. All it would take was for her tongue to slip and those three little words to spill out of her mouth right now. 'I love you Caitlyn'. Oh wait, make that four words.
"How do you know?" Caitlyn asked simply, giving her friend an encouraging smile.
"Look, I know Caitlyn. You'd totally freak!" she replied, frowning into her lap as she was starting to get worked up. Off course she'd freak. Like Caitlyn would react any other way. And then she'd never speak to her again, and Mitchie was sure that if that ever happened she would die. As she looked back up she found the other girl staring at her. What'd she actually said finally dawned on her and Mitchie's cheeks flared bright red.
"Did I say? No… cos I meant… I meant to say they!" she stuttered worriedly, her palms getting sweaty. Now she'd gone and ruined everything with just one word. One word to end it all…
"Was it a Freudian slip?" Caitlyn laughed, raising her eye brows suggestively and causing Mitchie to blush even redder, quickly shaking her head before she stopped and looked up at her friend in confusion, head cocked to the side in the most adorable way.
"What's a Freudian slip?" she asked, biting her lip. The other girl smiled broadly, eye's sparkling like diamonds in the sun.
"Where you say what you actually mean, not what you mean to say" she told Mitchie, edging just a little bit closer to her friend. The singer blushed even deeper red, that was exactly what it was. A Freudian slip. That's what Caitlyn did to her, made her say what she really meant, the hidden truths not the pretty white lies that get you through life. Like you fine when your not, or you did that work when you really didn't, or that you love the hideous pink sweater you get for Christmas.
"Oh" Mitchie breathed the word out awkwardly, hoping the other girl couldn't sense her nervousness "very funny Caitlyn" she tried to laugh it off but her voice caught in her throat and the words didn't sound quite right as they came out. She looked up at her friend again, finding the other girl looking at her in a way Mitchie had never seen before.
It's better to tell the truth, because it will come out eventually, and we all know what happened last time.
She could remember the last time she lied. And she remembered the look on Caitlyn's face when she found out. She couldn't help but wonder some times, how things would have gone if she'd never lied about her parentage.
She'd have been friends with Caitlyn the whole time. They might have shared a cabin, and spent the whole summer hanging out together by the lake practising for finally jam… And what if that path had lead to something more than friendship. What if her trying desperately to be friends with Tess had ruined her possible future with Caitlyn?
"C… Caitlyn I…" she stuttered nervously, feeling her shyer side coming out again as she tried to confess her feelings to her friend. Her eyes fell to her hands as they fiddled anxiously in her lap. And then suddenly Caitlyn's lips crashed onto hers haphazardly. It felt like a fruit tingle fizzing in her mouth, strange but delightful, as she kissed the other girl back.
Caitlyn's lips where every bit as soft as she had imagined, and her kiss every bit as gentle and magical. She reached out a hand to find the other girl's and intertwined their fingers. They fit perfectly together. Like two matching pieces of the puzzle. Mitchie had to use all her will power to pull away, her lips still lingering dangerously near the other girls mouth hesitantly.
"I love you" she breathed, letting her lips graze the Caitlyn's lightly as she spoke.
"I kind of guessed" the other girl replied with a smartass smirk. Mitchie rolled her eyes, pressing another chaste kiss against her friend's arrogant smile. Caitlyn laughed and ran her fingers through the singer's soft hair sweetly.
"I love you too" she whispered.