July 28th 2007
10 year old Alex Russo sat in her living room glued to the tv. Mitchie Torres was performing live and Alex wasn't about to miss it. Ever since she found out about the Camp Rock Star, she had been completely obsessed, listening to every song she's ever sang and watching any movie or show just because Michelle Torres was in it. It was her dream to one day be an actress and a singer, but she didn't think she could make it, though it was seeing Michelle everyday giving her best, that she was able to find the motivation to start planning ahead and take any opportunity to one day live her dream. But for now, she was perfectly happy obsessing over her role model.
"Alex! What did I tell you about sitting so close to the Tv!" Her mother Theresa scolded her.
"SHH! Mitchie's on!" the girl said without taking her eyes off the screen.
"Alright, that's it." Theresa said as she took the remote and switched the tv off.
"MOM! What are you doing!? Turn it back on!" Alex cried to her mother desperately.
"No, your coming with me, we're going grocery shopping" Her mother told her sternly. With her head hung low Alex shuffled her feet as she followed her mom down to the shop. They both got in the car and were on their way.
"Alex, I don't think it's healthy to obsess over someone so much. You need to get out of the house, go with your friends, do something" Alex said nothing her head leaning against the cool glass. She was too mad at her mother to say anything.
"Alex, you know I'm right" Her mother said trying to get through to her daughter.
"No your no- MOM WATCH OUT!" Alex cried suddenly as they both looked to see a car speeding towards them.
The car was hit from the drivers side, instantly killing Theresa Russo. Alex saw the world spinning before her, it was like everything was in slow motion. Shards of glass flew in all directions tearing her skin. The car slammed into a brick building throwing the 10 year old against the dashboard. It was only then that the car came to a stop. Alex looked to her mom, fear and sadness filling her heart.
"Mom? Mom! MOM!" the Latina cried getting no response. That was when the car was hit a second time, and the world went black for Alex.
July 22nd 2013
"Happy Birthday!" Jerry exclaimed as his daughter walked into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of orange juice.
"Mmm" Alex replied annoyed. She told her dad, every year for the past 5 years that she did not want to celebrate her birthday. She didn't want a party, she didn't want a cake, and she didn't want it mentioned. Yet every year her dad managed to do all three.
"Oh come on sweet heart, this is your day! You've gotta celebrate it"
"Whatever" Alex said tiredly as she shoved past Justin on her way out. Justin looked to his father and they were both wearing the same expression until Justin lost it.
"How can she do that! We do everything to try to help her and she just blows us off!"
"Justin-"
"And then she does anything that will break the rules or undermine authority, It's like she doesn't even care about any of us. Mom's probably turning in her grave-"
"JUSTIN! That is enough!" Jerry interrupted his son. He sighed in frustration. How did things ever turn out like this?
"Alex!" Miley called out getting her friends attention. Alex made her way over to the picnic table that her friends were crowded around. Alex sat opposite to Miley and next to Mason on the edge. She looked over all her friends smiling faces.
Nate looked like he was trying not to laugh and Alex knew something was up.
Alex
"Guys, if you wanted to keep something from me, you shouldn't have told Jonas over here" I said.
"I told you we shouldn't have said anything!" Harper said to the rest of the group. They all looked to the sheepish teenager.
"Sorry you guys know I can't be trusted with anything."
"Whatever it doesn't matter, I know you guys are hiding something so you might as well just tell me." I told them taking my bag and grabbing a cigarette. "Anyone got a light?" I muttered. Miley handed me hers and I lit the thing.
"Well, you know since you wont ever tell us when your birthday is" Miley started as I rolled my eyes.
"We went and asked your brother last month" Nate finished. I looked at them shocked. Thats when I noticed a wrapped gift on the ground by the table. I stood up abruptly sending each of them a glare before stomping off.
"See I knew she didn't want us knowing!" I heard Harper exclaim in what she thought was a whisper. Of course Harper had known when it was, she had been my friend since kindergarten, but she knew I didnt want anything to do with it, so she dropped it. I guess she must have tried to talk them out of talking to Justin or Max, whoever they asked. I heard footsteps behind me but I continued on.
"Oh come on Alex, It's your birthday, whats so wrong with that?" Miley asked. I stopped and turned to her.
"You want to know whats wrong with that? I'll tell you what's wrong, I told you guys I was never going to tell you because I didn't want you knowing. Why couldn't you have just listened to me!?" I blew up on her then trudged off before she could even respond. I threw my cigarette to the ground then smashed it under my converse. Miley didn't follow after that.
I made my way through town without having any destination in mind. I paused at a magazine rack outside of a store. On the cover was the ever so famous Michelle Torres. Hmph, I used to idolize her. Her songs actually meant something and she didn't just love what she did, she did it because she loved it. I remember all the singing classes I had tried when I was younger and all the plays I had been in because I wanted to be like her, I wanted to strive for my dream.
"What a waste of my life" I muttered then knocked the rack down so that all the magazines poured out onto the sidewalk before continuing my pointless walk, knowing that I didn't mean a word of what I just said.
It was getting dark and I walked down an alley way that I had agreed as a rendezvous point.
"Finally, and here I thought you had chickened out." A voice said from behind me. I smirked before turning to the other girl.
"Oh please, you were the one trying to talk yourself out of it." I said to the dark figure leaning against a brick wall.
Tess walked under the a street lamp letting herself be revealed.
"Whatever, let's just get this over with" she said and turned on her heel. I followed her to her car.
"Okay, so I've got everything we need right in here, just try not to disappoint." I took the bag from her and started down the street. I glanced behind me to see the blonde wasn't following.
"Are you coming?" I raised an eyebrow. She gulped then nodded before falling into step with me. We were both dressed in black and I had done some extra things to make sure I wasn't recognizable. From someone else's point of view, I looked like a guy I'm sure. My long wavy black hair was tucked into a black beanie, a black bandanna covered the bottom half of my face and I wore sunglasses hiding my eyes. I wore baggy clothing as to not give my figure away and had a piece of cloth tied tightly around my chest under my shirt. I completed it with gloves and sneakers, again all black. Tess wasn't as covered, she wore black tight fitting clothing showing all her curves and a beanie over her blonde hair that she let lay down her shoulders. She wasn't wearing anything on her hands and was wearing black and white converse.
It wasn't long before we were standing before the building we were looking for. The job was simple, we were going in, Tess was gonna watch my back as I did my work with the spray paint, then we'd be out of there. The reason they had asked me to was because I was well known around school for my incredible master pieces. I looked at Tess as she nodded. I took the bag off my shoulder and went through it before I found what I was looking for. It was an exact copy of the original key to the building. I didn't know where we were exactly, I think it was a studio, and I didn't know how they managed to snag this key. All I knew was that I was hired to do something and I was getting paid big time for it. We got in with ease and made our way down a hallway shining our flashlights on the door numbers as we walked along till we found what we were looking for.
"Ill stay here and knock if anyone starts coming" Tess told me and I nodded before going in. I set up the light that they had provided and shone it on the wall I was supposed to paint. I got to work carefully choosing my colors. It was a good hour and I was close to done when the door started opening.
It was probably just Tess, but I still felt my heart pounding wildly against my chest. The person came in and turned the light on. There was a gasp and I was glad I had my shades when the room became brighter. What the hell, where was Tess? I stood in my spot frozen staring at none other than Michelle Torres. The Michelle Torres who was staring back at me with shock before she turned to my piece. I snapped out of whatever trance I had been in and ran past the pop star leaving all the equipment behind.
"Hey! Wait!" She called to me as I made it to the end of the hallway. Crap. I had ran in the wrong direction. I turned down another hallway and then another before I knew it, I was lost without any way of knowing where the exit was. This place was bigger than I thought. I turned another corner looking behind me as I did so and collided with someone.
It was the pop star again. I tried going back but She grabbed the back of my shirt.
"Hold it dude." She told me sternly like I was a kid caught doing something I wasn't supposed to. Dude! I thought offended before I remembered what I was wearing. Maybe I could get out of this before she knew who I was, as long as I don't say anything. I struggled and tried to get out of her grasp, but she was a lot stronger than she looked.
"Stop! I just want to talk, I wont turn you in unless I find it necessary. Yeah right I thought as I continued to struggle.
"Okay, if you don't want to talk, then maybe you'll talk to the police." I immediately stopped knowing it was hopeless I turned around and had a hard time seeing the girl with my sunglasses on in the dark. She was a good head taller than me with long black hair, just like I had always known.
"Good" She said. "Now follow me." I lowered my head as she led me down some hallways before we found ourselves in the targeted room.
"Care to explain?" We looked at the picture I had painted. I stayed silent still trying not to give away my identity. She looked frustrated.
"Look Mister. I brought you in here to talk, so either you talk or I turn you in. It's your choice" Before I could react she grabbed the hat from my head and the things covering my face, allowing my long dark hair to fall against my shoulders. She gasped again and looked at me with her jaw dropped.
"What? Never seen a girl before?" I spat. She quickly snapped out of it.
"Sorry, it's just you look so young. How old are you?"
"Why do you care?"
"Because your only a kid, you shouldn't be getting involved in this stuff. You've got great talent" She gestured toward the wall covered in paint. "Don't waste it."
"I am NOT a kid thank you very much, and this" I too gestured toward the picture "isn't what I wanted to do, so butt out."
"Well you've got quite the attitude."
"And you've got quite the grip" I said wincing at my arm that was still being held firmly.
"Oh, sorry" She said loosening her grip. "Okay so here's whats going to happen. I'm taking you to your house and I'm telling your parents exactly what happened tonight and then tomorrow your coming back in here to wash the wall."
"Pssh whatever" I said not looking at her. My dad was going to freak, then Justin was going to look at me like he always does. With shame. I already knew my family was ashamed of me, I knew that they all blamed me for what happened that night 6 years ago.