Chapter: 1

.

"Hold on cause I'm letting go

I'm gonna lasso your heart like a rodeo

I'm gonna give you some till you want some more

Cause all I see is an open door

And I see where it's leading me

All of this energy been bottled up way too long

.

It's powerful, powerful

You see what I'm getting at

I'm ready for all of that

If I'm not a star, you're blind

.

I've got rings on my fingers

And glitter in my hair

I bought a one-way ticket

And I just got here

I'm gonna run this town

Run this town

I'm gonna run this town

Run this town

.

I've got high heel stilettos

And I'm kicking in doors

And kissing your feet ain't what my lipstick's for

I'm gonna run this town

Run this town

I'm gonna run this town

Run this town tonight…"

"MIIITTTTCCCHHHIIIIEEEE!" Came a loud shrieking voice. Jumping with a start the young girl, turned to the voice of her one and only stepmother T.J. Tyler. Originally T.J. Tyler was a past model, tall and skinny with a face well past its prime, her dyed blond hair often showed signs of grey, her blue eyes cold and uncaring.

"What do you think you're doing?" The young girl, also known as Mitchie, opened her mouth to respond but was suddenly cut off. "I don't pay you to mess around."

Mitchie's brow twitched at her comment. Pay her? What the hell was she talking about. "Actually, T.J, you don't pay me at all."

"Are you sassing me?" The blond woman glared her hands placed themselves on her hips as she stared at the younger girl.

"A-ah, umm, N-no..." The brunette's eyes fell downward saddened, "It's just that my dad always used to let me sing whenever-"?

"Your Dad," the older woman cut in again. "Left me in charge of not only you, but this dump as well, which I now have to run, Now get ready, it's time to open."

Mitchie nodded, grabbing the broom and quickly making her leave through the back of the stage.

"Oh yes I almost forgot!" The older woman spoke, stopping the teen in her tracks before she turned around, "I need you to work the night shift tonight."

Mitchie bit her lip, of course she had to work again, what a surprise. Closing her eyes, she nodded again, before leaving the stage and making her way to the bar, where Connie and Steve, her father's best friends before he died were waiting, and even after he had passed they were still really close treating her more like a daughter then T.J. ever would.

"Good morning Mitchie!" Connie smiled, handing over a plate full of food to the younger girl, who accepted it gratefully.

"Thanks Connie, your food is so amazing, I mean it, you could really make some good money from it if you wanted."

Steve rolled his eyes, continuing to bust the counter, "Yeah, and then maybe she can stop asking me to buy her a bigger ring and buy one herself."

The older woman gave a tiny mock glare back at her husband , before she turned her attention back to the other girl, her face holding a stern look to it but her voice still showing her amusement. "Ha, yeah this guy, he brings me stuff he finds in the street everyday. Why don't you find me a ring in the street huh Steve?"

"Yeah and maybe some customers" Mitchie grumbled, taking another bite from her biscuit.

"Customers! That's exactly what we need, now if your dad only knew how T.J. turned this place into a ghost town," He moved along the rest of the counter, busting it with more force in aggravation. "I should do something about it.

"Don't worry about it guys, because I promise, things are not going to be like this," She gestured the the empty building, also known as 'The Palace' "for very much longer."

Connie looked exceedingly excited staring down at the younger brunette. "Really? Well alright Mitchie! Got a little plan brewing?"

Mitchie held a smug smile for a few seconds, building up the two adults excitement, before her smile dropped in defeat. "Nope, I got nothin"

Connie smiled anyway, rubbing a soothing hand over the girl's cheek, "That's alright sweetie, it doesn't really matter."

'If only that were true…" She thought sadly, when the T.V hanging from the upper console caught her attention, "Oh cool, Hot Tunes is on, do you think you could turn it up a little bit Connie?" Connie nodded, moving the short distance to the T.V, to turn up the volume.

"I'm here at Beverly Glen's school of performing arts, where there's nothing but buzz, buzz, buzz. Fresh from their fourth world tour teen heartthrobs Connect 3 have decided to bring their triple threat of singing, dancing and breaking hearts back home to the Hills."

The picture on the screen then flashed to Connect 3 as they tried to walk down the sidewalk, as more and more microphones were pushed into their faces.

"Jason, excuse me!"

"Hello? Nate!"

"Shane, is there any way you can you give us any information about what you're doing in the future?" Shane only glared at the camera woman as he climbed into the limo with Jason.

"Look we're just trying get back to our roots, take our senior year off, go back to school." Nate spoke, ducking away from the camera with his brothers, practically jumping into the awaiting limo.

"And lucky for all you folk," The reporter woman spoke, as the camera flew back to her. "Their record label is sponsoring a huge talent competition, where the winner of the competition will also win the opportunity to perform with Connect 3 in their next video. So all you stars in waiting, it's time to get your freak on."

Mitchie stared at the T.V. even after Hot tunes was gone. Connect 3 was going to be at her school? No freakin way. She stayed munching on her breakfast, until a sharp honking sound erupted from outside. "Oh looks like Caitlyn's here! Don't wanna be late for the first day back!" The brown haired girl exclaimed, stuffing the rest of her biscuit into her mouth and grabbing her bag, making sure she had all of her books, and quickly ran out the door to the bright orange van that awaited her.

"Well hello there gorgeous!" Caitlyn yelled honking the horn, when Mitchie climbed into the vintage van.

"Well good morning to you too, my hip-hop goddess!"

Caitlyn laughed turning her eyes back to the road ahead of her. Mitchie laughed as well, pulling down the sun visor to check her makeup when it suddenly broke from it's hinges, falling into her lap.

"Catilyn, you should really get this thing fixed."

"Thing? Don't hurt her feelings, or she'll break down for good." The lighter haired brunette girl exaggerated, trying to shift into third gear, "We have to respect the Great Pumpkin."

Mitchie gave small pout moving the visor from her lap and chucking it into the back of the van.

"Hey, you think my leather goes with my tutu?" Came the next random reply.

Brown eyes, looked up the other girl for a second, noting her usual, unusual attire. "You look amazing, as always."

"It's a Catilyn original." She flashed a small smile. "I figured I should dress in style for our last semester together, ever."

"God Caitlyn, you are so weird."

"Your point being?"

Mitchie said nothing, just shook her head and smiled, Caitlyn was always like this, she never gave a damn what people thought of her, and did whatever she liked, even if people tried to make fun of her, she just brushed it off, which was something Mitchie had always admired about her.

Pulling into the school's parking lot, they were able to find a good spot near the entrance, Beverly Glen's school of performing arts was dedicated to encouraging children in their love of music and was absolutely beautiful, with sleek marble walls, that shined in the sunlight, looking very grand with the tall, glossy green bushes, thick vines covered the walls and a proper working fountain stood in the center of the courtyard, spouting clear water.

Hopping out of 'The Great Pumpkin.', Mitchie stopped in her tracks as a dark blue Lamborghini pulled into the spot next to her.

"Yeah, I'm telling you. Seriously, it's better for your skin. It's called the one-sip diet." The blond girl in the driver;s seat explained to the other two occupants of the car, taking a sip of her drink. Her name was Tess Tyler, daughter of T.J. Tyler, Mitchie's one and only step mom. Peering to side to look at Mitchie, an evil smile found it's way onto her lips, as she threw the drink she had once been drinking right at Mitchie. "I am so sorry, Mitchie. I didn't even see you standing there. It's like you were totally invisible."

"Check out my totally invisible finger." Caitlyn yelled through the van's passenger side window, holding out her right hand.

Quickly Mitchie held Caitlyn off as Tess got out of her car, with her younger sister Ella and friend Peggy, right behind her. "Caitlyn relax, it's fine."

The frizzy haired girl clenched her fists together as she exited the pumpkin colored van. Caitlyn couldn't stand Tess, she was such a bitch, and was always putting Mitchie down. Walking into the school's front They ghosted through the school, stopping at locker, 215 to drop off their bags when

All of a sudden, there was a loud scream, "Oh, my God. It's Connect 3!"

Dozens of screaming girls, and surprisingly boys, scattered down the hallway to the front of the school where Connect three's limo had just pulled up.

Caitlyn's frown disappeared from her face as she stared at the raging teens as they continued to gather. "God I love drama. It's so dramatic."

"Let's go before we get trampled." Mitchie laughed pulling her best friend away from their lockers and to their first class.

"Okay."

"I'm not doing this," Shane complained. He was now with the rest of his bandmates parked in front of Beverly Glens, Nate and Jason sitting behind the driver seat facing Shane, who was setting in the set with the back windshield behind him looking out the window, his checkered guitar case next to him with his favorite guitar inside it.

Shane was well... happy wasn't the right word. It was more like angry to the point of a murderous rage.

"You have to," Nate said, peering out the windows

"You guys have got to be kidding me. I'm SHANE GRAY for crying out loud. I don't want to spend my time at some stupid school." Shane scoffed annoyed. He couldn't remember the last time he was this angry with his band mates.

Nate stared at his older brother for a second, "Hey man come on we used to love this place. Three years ago we used to go here."

"Yeah man, this is where Connect 3… connected." Jason butted in, unbuckling from his seat

"And you get to see Uncle Brown."

They all looked at each other.

"Still not a selling point guys." Said Shane scoffing at his band mates.

"Look, man right now you're the bad boy to the press, and the label has a problem with that. Which means we have a problem with that." Nate was always the more business-minded of the three.

Jason, being his oblivious self, mused, "Actually, I don't really have a problem with that." After a pointed glare from Nate, he amended, "We have a problem with that."

Shane just sat there furiously.

"Look man this school thing is supposed to fix it. Besides it gives us a chance to be like normal teens again and we'll be here with you so just relax."

"Whatever," Shane rolled his eyes, took off his seat belt and grabbed his guitar case, Nate and Jason following suit. As soon as they stepped foot outside of the limo's door, they were met with the bright flashes of camera lights, and the rushing sound of screaming fans, it felt like they were at some award ceremony, not school.

"Oh, my God."

"I can't believe it!"

"I love you Shane Gray!"

"Uh, hi?"

"Hey, Dude, party at my house on Friday night!"

It took almost everything the three boys had to push through the crowd and into the school, all the while dodging flying pens, T-shirts, and even people being shoved into their faces.

Once inside they were still blinded by the bright flashing lights and crowns of people that Shane didn't even notice when a brunette girl stood in his path until he crashed right into her, knocking them both on the cold marble floor.

"Ow! Oh… Sorry. Sorry, I wasn't looking, I just…" The brunette girl said hurriedly, gathering everything she had dropped. "Sorry."

"You said that already." Looking up at the person who had spoke, her eyes widened just the slightest. Standing in front of her was none other Shane Gray.

Mitchie smiled nervously again, as Caitlyn took the rest of the books from her hands, "I'm sorry…"

Shane just sighed and walked around the two girls before walking into the office, Nate and Jason following behind once again.

…