u"Let's Dance!"/u
iAuthor:/i letscall_l
iFandom:/i Camp Rock
iPairings:/i Mitchie Torres/ Caitlyn Gellar
iDisclaimer:/i I do not own Camp Rock!
iWord Count:/i 3631
iWarnings:/i Femslash, implied-ness, Non-bitchy Tess
iSummary:/i Its been weeks since she'd last seen Caitlyn, and now she was teaching her how to dance? Things heat up, thats for sure!
"...and then the Weimar Republic was established in 1919, thats post-WWI people- I don't want any confusion in your assignments!" Mr Calloway rambled on about the classes upcoming paper. Everyone paid close attention, except Mitchie Torres.
The brunette's eyes were transfixed to the view outside the window. Her thoughts as far away as the clouds in the blue sky. Well, as far as Camp Rock anyway.
'I wish I was back there...' she thought wistfully. It had been invading her mind more and more since the end of winter. Even more when she had woken last week to find Caitlyn had sent her the remixed version of 'Our Time is Here', the song they had all recorded just before the start of school. Mitchie sighed. The distance between her and her Camp Rock friends only grew more apparent the longer she wasn't with them. Tess had dropped by during winter break and they'd finally erased the awkward 'rivalry' that had stopped them becoming friends. 'Guitar lessons' and shopping sprees - the ultimate peace process. Mitchie smiled at the memory. And then returned to frowning.
She missed most of all her best friend from Camp Rock - Caitlyn Gellar. The girl had been unable to make winter break because she had finally been scouted for several music videos. Of course she's apologized profusely over a half an hour phone call days before the CD had arrived. Mitchie remembered the way Caitlyn's voice had stumbled over the words in order to get her 'sorry's out. Mitchie had stayed up to watch the premiere of Hannah Montana's new music video-just to see her music producing friend in the background.
'She was soo holding back at Camp...' Mitchie rested her head in her hands, ignoring the voices in the classroom. 'I should have checked my emails this morning, she said she was going-'
Her train of Caitlyn thoughts was rudely interrupted by the force of a textbook dropping on her desk, inches from her face.
"Whoa!" she exclaimed. Her outburst caused laughter around the class but sent mR Calloway's face into a whole different shade of purple.
"Uh...Hi?"
"Miss Torres, I do hope I was not boring you?" he asked sarcastically.
"Boring me?" Mitchie wondered. 'He means the lesson you dork!' her inner thoughts pitched in helpfully. Mitchie's brown eyes widened. 'Quick! Save yourself'
"No-o, no, of course not! War -post definitely interesting!" she added her bright smile to the end of the sentence. Mr Calloway, however, wasn't smiling.
"POST-WWI, Miss Torres- copy the assignment down." he yelled. Mitchie fidgeted with her pen, trying to block out the amused giggles filling the room. Mitchie kept her head down as she scribbled away. Even though her popularity had increased slightly upon her return from Camp Rock, probably to do with her associations with various music stars ( like Shane Grey, for instance?), she still hadn't settled into a stable of friends.
'cept for Sierra...' Mitchie chanced a look up at her bushy haired friend who was currently switching between writing the assignment down and checking up on her.
'Thank God she has this class...'
The bell was heaven sent and Mitchie skillfully avoided Mr Calloway, escaping to the hall with Sierra.
"Are you okay Mitchie? I've never seen you space out in German History like that." Sierra walked with her towards their lockers.
"Yeah, I'm okay." Mitchie scrunched up her nose. "I'm just missing people."
"Like who?" Sierra enquired, she'd heard a lot about the people Mitchie had spent the summer with.
"Well, the Camp Rock guys - Tess, Lola...Caitlyn." she hovered on the girl's name. "I just want summer to hurry so I can go back there."
Sierra gave her a curious look.
"What?" Mitchie asked.
"Caitlyn? As in Caitlyn Gellar?" Mitchie looked surprised.
"Um, yeah - Caitlyn Gellar, future music producer..." she rattled Caitlyn's catchphrase. Sierra tugged on her arm away from the lockers and to the overcrowded bulletin board.
"...also Dance teacher extrodinare?" Sierra pointed at the board. Mitchie's eyes scanned the board, finally being drawn to the poster Sierra signaled to.
'Caitlyn Gellar...Dance Masterclass...tour...C.C....'
"Oh My God!" Mitchie shouted. Sierra watched her friend's face light up at the poster. "She's coming here! To teach!?" Mitchie's voice slowly became more questioning and nervous.
"That's your Caitlyn." Mitchie's fingers brushed against the smooth, laminated poster.
'My Caitlyn...'
"Yeah, that's her." She replied excitedly.
-----*****-----
"So you weren't planning on telling me? I wouldn't have known if Sierra hadn't pointed it out!" Mitchie whined down the phone.
"Hey - cool it rockstar" Caitlyn's voice came over the line. Mitchie smiled at the use of her nickname.
"It was gonna be a surprise. I know your still sore about the music videos-"
Mitchie went to protest.
"-even if you won't admit it." Caitlyn teased. Mitchie felt giddy; she paced her bedroom where she was taking the call.
"I made them schedule your school in, wouldn't wanna miss you out now would I?"
"Thanks Caitlyn."
"But you do realize you have to sign up now, don't you?"
"What!" Caitlyn winced at Mitchie's sudden shout.
"You heard me."
"Caitlyn I can't sign up. I could barely keep up in Shane's hip-hop dance classes. And from what I've seen your on a whole different level to him!" She could feel Caitlyn's ego inflate over the phone.
"I don't think you were able to see how good you were Mitchie. Never mind...I still expect you to be there, I got a couple of steps I really want you to try." she remarked enthusiastically.
Mitchie hesitated. Hip-hop dancing wasn't really her thing, it'd had been fun at Camp Rock. Joining in with everyone at the jams.
"I dunno Caitlyn- I'm no where near as good as you."
"Pffft whatever! I want you there." Mitchie once again paused and let her mind wander to the hip-hop sessions at Camp Rock. Her memories vividly displayed Caitlyn's dances. Her bright clothing and loud music. Jerking arms and grinding hips.
"Mitchie?"
"Yeah?"
"Please sign up" Caitlyn pleaded with her best friend.
"I'll think about it..." It was enough for Caitlyn.
"Think 'yes'- I'll be there on friday. I gotta get going now but before I forget- Tess says hi."
"Say 'hi' back for me. I'll see you soon Caitlyn." The buzz of the call ended and Mitchie felt a grin coming on despite her worries over the dance class.
'I'm so glad Caitlyn and Tess made up.'
Their difference had been settled heatedly and quite loudly before they had all met up to record at Caitlyn's garage.
'Dancing...urgh should I? It's more Caitlyn...or even Lola than me.' She let her ears replay "Start the party" and Shane's first class.
It had been thrilling. The feel of the hat on her head and the mic in her hand, the pumping of her blood around her body, the strain of her muscles, the way Caitlyn kept her eyes flickering towards her...
A magazine cover entered her vision. Shane Grey and Margaret Dupree graced the glossy cover. The headline blared; "Shane and Margaret : real life duet?"
Shane's boyish face was split into a large, pearly grin, his arm cradling Peggy towards his body- who herself was smiling happily.
'I'm so glad' Mitchie honestly thought. There had been a time when she would have thought about being the girl on the end of Shane's arm.
'But we're so much better as friends.'
Shane visited whenever he could, surprising her at school, calling on tour and more recently with Peggy. They spent some relaxation time taking photos, many of which were now stuck on her walls.
All these happy memories.
'Now if only I could somehow step up my dancing...'
----*****----
Her phone was ringing.
The flashing numbers on her alarm clock signaled it was WAY too late or early for her phone to be doing that. Her hand groped until she answered.
"Hullo..."
"Mitch- its Tess, calling to check somethings."
"Tess, its 1.30 in the morning, couldn't it wait?"
"I'm due on a flight in 2 hours, I don't see the problem."
'One thing hasn't changed...' Mitchie thought, her body and brain trying to work in sync.
"What's up?"
"Just wanted to make sure your going to sign up for Caitlyn's class. You wouldn't want to disappoint the beat box, would you?"
Tess had decided that one of the perks of being Caitlyn's friend was the nicknames. She'd dubbed Caitlyn 'Beat Box'. Said 'Beat Box' in return, continued to call her the 'Diva'. Mitchie was still in the dark about her own nickname.
"What? Your calling to tell me to sign up?"
"Yes I am. And I hope your going to do it, first thing tomorrow."
-'How does she manage the concerned, pushy friend as well as the subtle manipulator?' Mitchie wondered.
"Urgh...I don't know..." Tess 'tsk'd' on the line.
"Remember Torres - You are confident!"
"But I still have my moments Baby! I so regret working on that while you were here..." Tess laughed down the phone.
"Oh but your blushing was so worth it."
"I was not blushing!"
"Sure Torres." Tess' voice was surrounded suddenly by background noise as she prepared to end the call.
"Just sign up."
Mitchie struggled back to sleep, the phone resting on her pillow.
-----*****-----
'Who knew a sign up sheet could be so intimidating?'
Mitchie Torres' name stood proudly in black sharpie at the end of the long list of people signed up for the class.
"How did I get myself into this?" she wondered aloud- still berating herself from bending under the persuasion of Tess Tyler and the lure of Caitlyn.
"Well here goes nothing..."
Mitchie took a final look at the long list of names before finally bravely opening the gym doors...trying not to think of how much of a disaster this was going to be.
The gym had more life than usual. No basketball lug heads or cheerleaders, just row after row of aspiring teenagers learning how to dance...or to school every single person who thinks they can. Mitchie gulped audibly as the door closed noisily behind her. 50 or more heads turned to stare down the 'competition'. Mitchie repressed the familiar urge to bow her head, something she would have done last year.
'Not anymore' she reminded.
People quickly lost interest in her and she adjusted her gym bag that held her normal clothes, and looked for a spot in the hall. All the school banners were out, but new posters with Caitlyn's posing figure hung on the walls.
The star of the posters was on stage, now visible as Mitchie moved. Caitlyn had her back to her as she messed with the impressive sound system. Various wires hung from her hips trailing from her neck. Mitchie's eye lingered on Caitlyn for a moment longer until the girl faced the gym. Mitchie reflected the look of happiness Caitlyn wore when she spotted her. Someone guided Mitchie to an open space whilst she couldn't take her eyes off Caitlyn. The Music producer, who winked and laughed at the girl's spaciness. Caitlyn nodded to her helpers on the side before mouthing 'you look nice' to Mitchie.
The girl blushed and pushed her bag to the front of the...
'I'm at the front?!' Mitchie froze slightly as she found herself at the front, directly opposite Caitlyn on the stage.
'Darn it.'
"Okay guys, we're gonna get this started. I'm Caitlyn Gellar and I'd like to welcome you to this Dance Masterclass!" Her introduction was met with polite clapping.
"Alright, I want yo to watch this 8 step and try to keep up..."
Mitchie jumped up and down preparing herself as Caitlyn put on a heavy beat. Caitlyn seemed to switch into teach-mode and she swiftly burst into moves. Mitchie and the rest of the class watched in concentration as Caitlyn, performed.
'Hey, I know that...'
Mitchie watched Caitlyn move.
'Change the music and...'
Mitchie dived into the steps as Caitlyn began the dance from the top. The teacher spared a quick look and smiled as she saw Mitchie match her step-for-step; much to the confusion of the rest of the class.
''Start the Party!"
-----*****-----
Mitchie glanced behind her during the final turn in the familiar Camp Rock dance. Her smile threatened to stretch wider as she saw many of the school's elite dancers still lagging on some of Caitlyn's steps.
The 'instructor' had made the hall repeat the dance several time, to view everyone's progress. Or so she intended...
Mitchie's face was flushed but only the barest moisture came from her brow. It wasn't the dancing, it was the stares. Surely Caitlyn didn't need to stop and look at her after every repetition of the dance.
'Probably not.' Mitchie thought. 'But it isn't stopping her...'
A strange feeling thrummed from the soles of her feet upwards to her pelvis. Caitlyn returned to the front of the stage, sharing a smile with her friend before addressing the group.
"Hey! Well that wasn't so bad right?" Upon hearing the less than enthused mumbles Caitlyn gave a short laugh.
"No need to jump for joy. I'm here to help you - you signed up to learn the best..."
'...from one of the best.' Mitchie praised. Caitlyn adjusted a wire on her hip before continuing.
"Okay then. Now before you signed up there was a form you all had to fill in." Caitlyn pulled a pink sheet of paper from her cargo shorts.
"Along with the usual junk there was a dance suggestion option for you all to fill in."
Mitchie inwardly groaned and hoped that Caitlyn hadn't been angry at her missing that particular box.
"Yes, I read all of them."
'Damnit' Mitchie faked a smile in return to Caitlyn's eye roll in her direction.
"And even though its not really my style, apparently you all have a junior prom coming up..."
There was a slight hesitation in Caitlyn's speech due to a small crowd screaming in response.
"That's great! So, a lot of you put down you wanted to learn the Tango."
Mitchie slapped her forehead to the amusement of the two girl's standing on either side of her.
"So, I'll take you through the steps- but I'm gonna need someone to help me, preferably a girl, because it's harder to teach a boy his steps whilst leading..."
The hall broke out in murmurs and the few guys who had raised their hands regretfully put them down.
"You at the front."
It took a second for Mitchie to register that Caitlyn's armband clad arm was pointing at her. So she spluttered in response;
"Me?"
"Yes! Girl-who-I've-never-met-before!"
Suddenly a mass of eyes focused on her slightly wobbly form and Mitchie was hyperaware of how nervous she must have looked. Caitlyn seemed unfazed still holding out her hand for Mitchie to take.
"Just go." came a furious whisper from the impatient girl behind her.
Mitchie staggered, after almost tripping over her feet, up onto the stage.
"Alright, Thank you. Everyone this is-" Caitlyn pretended to ask for her name before quick giving it,
"-Mitchie, and we're going to show you how to Tango. Boys follow what I'm doing...would everyone get into pairs...?"
Mitchie zoned out, her eyes left the safety of Caitlyn's face and swirled on the girl's strong shoulders.
"How are you?" came a whisper. Mitchie confusedly met Caitlyn's eyes, that looked so innocent, before remembering her annoyance.
"Gee, great." she faked. "I hate you and I will get you back for this." Mitchie's tone was playful, even through gritted teeth.
Caitlyn grinned and surveyed the masses of teens pairing up, deeming it safe she replied;
"You love it really and I can't wait."
All thoughts vanished. It was like in the cartoons, when a character realizes something, the picture would show a line of light go through the characters ears - seemingly through the brain. Mitchie's ears closed off only to the sound of her breathing. She couldn't even make out the song playing; only the gentle hand on her waist and the other clutching her own. Caitlyn's eyes were sharp-and her full attention seemed to be on Mitchie alone. Like there was not a soul in the room.
Mitchie could sense her body being guided through the motions. Sway hip, step forward, back, lean, pull close - Caitlyn's breath danced over her skin - step back, two, sway, forward; she could hear the faint hints of the song but it was overpowered by the traces of Caitlyn's neck beneath her fingers.
Again the dance. Repeat. Sway, step, sway, lean back, sway, step.
It was in this Caitlyn finally spoke.
"Mitchie you are fantastic."
Girl-in-question found movement once more as she regained conscious of the sensual dance she moved in. Everyone was quietly observing and mimicking their grace. She felt something.
"Caitlyn I think..."
"Don't think." She was silenced by a step forward, a lean backwards. "Dance"
So she did.
-----*****-----
"I don't know about you guys but that was brilliant, unfortunately this is the end of the session - can you please gather all your belongings and leave the gym. Hang back if you have any questions."
Mitchie's breathing was shallow. Fire seemed to dance from her skin. She couldn't leave just yet.
'Wait after the session, please Mitch', I need to talk to you.'
Various clusters of students left and minorities fled to the stage surrounding Caitlyn, throwing questions back and forth. Amazingly the girl wasn't fazed. Every so often the chesnut haired dancer would send a smile in her direction. So Mitchie waited.
----****----
"I knew you could dance as well as you sing." Were Caitlyn's icebreaking words. They'd never needed to 'icebreak', not even when they had first met in the stumble of Camp Rock. Why now?
"Up there? I still can't believe it - I don't even remember doing anything!" Mitchie exclaimed unable to keep the pitch of her voice down, it echoed in the empty gym.
"All a blur huh?"
"Some parts yeah" Mitchie blushed.
"Some of the best dances are- you can just lose yourself completely."
Caitlyn strolled and sat on the stage, encouraging Mitchie to sit next to her.
"Best dance, was I that good?"
Now it was Caitlyn's turn to blush.
"Well y'know, you surprised me." Mitchie smiled. Caitlyn turned slightly serious;
"I didn't think you would sign up."
Mitchie sensed the hesitation in her friend's voice and gently linked their hands.
"How couldn't I? It's you, your my best friend." she spoke softly to the dancer who, through half open eyes muttered.
"So was I an incentive for you?" Taking the time to mull over the words Mitchie finally nodded.
"Yeah."
"Mitchie. If I'm wrong." Caitlyn squeezed her hand. "Stop me."
"Stop you...?"
But Mitchie didn't, even if she hadn't understood she let Caitlyn, her best friend, tug on the back of her neck and claim her lips in a sweet, tingling kiss. Mitchie's eyes closed and all the rush of the dance returned, she felt herself draw Caitlyn further in. The need.
And when they parted, in hurried words Mitchie confirms;
"Your not wrong."
----****----
"Caitlyn you sly bitch." Tess Tyler gleefully teased.
Its approximately 1 hour and 12 minutes since the end of Caitlyn's masterclass and Tess had already found the youtube video someone had kindly recorded of it. Good view too.
It had killed her, really, to remind Mitchie that early in the morning (superstars need sleep too!) but watching her plan unfold in the form of an intimate Tango was all worth it. Tess grinned like a cat that got the cream as she watched the scene again.
"Well lets see how everything is going..."
Tess produced her iPhone and rapidly tapped in Mitchie's number - it picks up after an excruciatingly impatient 5 rings.
"Heyy Tess!" Tess listened closely at the speed of the girl's breathing before adopting a sarcastic yet apologetic tone.
"Mitchie...I'm not interrupting anything...am I?"
There is, what Tess can only guess to be, a nervous pause.
"No. Nope. Nothing." Mitchie stammers out.
"Oh okay." Tess huffs slightly disappointed. She retreated to the pink comfort of her bedroom couch and returns her attention to the call.
"Just calling to say. Watched the session and to congratulate you and Beat Box - you two are looking so hot on Youtube."
Tess doesn't stick around to hear Mitchie's reaction because she knows it will be twice as good next time they speak.
-----*****-----
Mitchie stretches to place her phone back on her bedside dresser. Slowly she breathes out before looking at the girl beneath her.
"I think Tess knows." Mitchie says in a delightfully confused manner.
Caitlyn shuffles under her, reminding the singer that she is straddling the dancer. Mitchie shudders as Caitlyn returns to her action before Tess called; attempting to remove Mitchie's shirt.
"I think she can keep it to herself for a while, don't you?"
- fin -