A/N: Hello, all. How are you? Good, I hope. Coolio, so anyway: I know I still have my series of one-shots going, and I'll be done with that soon, I just need some inspiration for the last little bit. In the meantime, I was inspired to write this. I'm really loving this song right now and after listening to it a bit I got the idea for this. Let me know what you think.
=)
Title: Breathe
Disclaimer: I do not own any Camp Rock characters. Also, I do not own 'Breathe' by Taylor Swift and Colbie Caillat. Thank you, that is all =P
Mitchie looked in the rearview mirror as she drove away. Shane was standing in the middle of the street looking completely lost as he watched her leave. He hadn't wanted her to go. The truth was that she hadn't wanted to leave either, but she thought she was doing what was best for him. Without her in the picture as a distraction, he could focus on his music and career. He would be better off; it was the right thing.
"I'm doing what's best for him," she told herself for the millionth time that day, "Even if it's breaking both our hearts."
She wiped at the tears that were falling freely from her eyes and turned off of his street for the last time.
---
Shane stood dumbfounded in the middle of his street, unable to look away as Mitchie drove farther and farther away. He still couldn't believe what had just happened; Mitchie had just broken up with him. She said that she wasn't good enough for him and that she was just in the way of him moving forward in life.
'That's not even close to being true,' he thought. "I love you, Mitchie."
Shane slowly made his way back to his apartment. He didn't know what to do now. The most important thing in his life had just driven away in a red Mini Cooper.
---
Two months had passed and Mitchie was sitting at a radio station getting ready to do an interview and perform one of her new songs. The DJ began to introduce her to everyone listening and she plastered a smile on her face. She could at least pretend she was okay, couldn't she?
"Good morning, L.A.! You're listening to Mornings with Mick here on 98.6 WZTL. I'm your host, Mick Donald, and today we have a very special guest in the studio with us. It's my pleasure to introduce one of the hottest new acts in the country right now: Mitchie Torres!"
"Hi, everyone, it's great to be here."
"Mitchie, great to have you," Mick said, "How are you?"
"I'm okay." 'I am not okay. "How about you?"
"I'm great, thanks for asking. So, Mitchie, you're, like…huge right now. You must have paparazzi following you all the time. What's it like to be recognized wherever you go? I mean, I know you were famous by association before because of your previous relationship with a certain pop star, but now it's just you. How do you handle it?"
"Well, it's definitely crazy. I'm still surprised when people come up to me at the mall or wherever and ask for a picture or an autograph. It's like, 'You know who I am?' Then I go, 'Oh wait, that's right.' It's definitely different from the norm." She avoided talking about the part that had to do with Shane. She should have known that would be brought up somehow. It was her fault, but she wasn't over him yet.
After a few more minutes of various questions, some more personal than others, it came time for Mitchie to perform.
"So now Mitchie is going to sing us a never-before-heard song off of her upcoming album. You wrote this one yourself, correct?" Mick spoke.
Mitchie strapped on her acoustic guitar as she answered. "Yep, that's right. It's called Breathe."
---
Shane had been listening to Mitchie's interview while he drove around L.A. It had been too long since he'd heard her voice and it was killing him. He hadn't been the same since she'd left.
"It's called Breathe," he heard.
Shane listened intently; Mitchie's songs were always amazing and had actual meaning. He turned up the volume as she started to sing.
"I see your face in my mind as I drive away,
'Cause none of us thought it was gonna end that way.
People are people and sometimes we change our minds,
But it's killing me to see you go after all this time.
Mmm Mmm Mmm
Mmm Mmm Mmm
Music starts playing like the end of a sad movie.
It's the kind of ending you don't really wanna see,
'Cause it's tragedy and it'll only bring you down.
Now I don't know what to do without you around.
And we know it's never simple, never easy,
Never a clean break, no one here to save me.
You're the only thing I know like the back of my hand.
And I can't…
Breathe without you, but I have to,
Breathe without you, but I have to.
Never wanted this, never wanna see you hurt.
Every little bump in the road I tried to swerve.
People are people and sometimes it doesn't work out.
Nothing we say is gonna save us from the fallout.
And we know it's never simple, never easy,
Never a clean break, no one here to save me.
You're the only thing I know like the back of my hand.
And I can't…
Breathe without you, but I have to,
Breathe without you, but I have to.
It's 2 A.M., feeling like I just lost a friend,
Hope you know it's not easy for me.
It's 2 A.M., feeling like I just lost a friend,
Hope you know this ain't easy, easy for me.
And we know it's never simple, never easy,
Never a clean break, no one here to save me.
Oh…
I can't…
Breathe without you, but I have to,
Breathe without you, but I have to,
Breathe without you, but I have to.
Sorry, sorry, sorry, yeah, sorry.
Sorry, sorry, sorry…"
Shane had pulled the car over by the second verse. The rest of the time he listened in stunned silence. Was this song about him? About them? It had to be. That was it; he couldn't take being apart from her anymore.
---
"Sorry, sorry, sorry, yeah, sorry.
Sorry, sorry, sorry."
Mitchie let the last chord ring out as she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. 'Don't cry, Mitchie, she thought to herself, 'Don't cry.'
"Wow, Mitchie, that was…that was absolutely beautiful," Mick stuttered.
"Thank you so much," her voice cracked as she replied. A single tear rolled down her cheek, but she wiped it away before anyone could notice.
That was the end of her segment; Mick started playing another song and thanked her for being there. Within ten minutes she was in a limo and on her way back to her apartment.
"Thanks, Geoff," she said as they pulled up to her apartment building.
Her driver smiled and unlocked the doors. "My pleasure, Miss Torres," he replied.
Mitchie smiled back and got out. Once she was inside she got in the elevator and pressed the button for her floor. All she wanted to do was get a spoon and attack the pint of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream that was in her freezer while watching TV all day. She hadn't expected that singing that song would make her feel the way she did that day two months ago.
The elevator doors opened and Mitchie walked down the hall. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw someone sitting on the floor in front of her door. Her eyes widened when she saw exactly who it was. "S-Shane?"
His head snapped up. "Mitchie."
---
"S-Shane?"
He would know that voice anywhere. He snapped his head up so he could see her; she was still beautiful. "Mitchie."
After she didn't speak or move, he slowly stood. He closed the small gap between them and took a deep breath. "Mitchie," he started, quietly, "I heard you on the radio this morning, and it…I can't do this anymore, Mitch. I can't keep going on and pretending like I'm okay without you, because I'm not."
Mitchie stared at him, listening, trying to hold back tears.
Shane continued. "I've been going crazy without you, and I'm pretty sure Nate and Jason have pretty much had it with me.
"Mitchie, you never ever held me back or dragged me down. Never. You made doing what I love so much better; it was better because I knew I was getting to do it with you by my side. I still love you, Mitchie. I haven't stopped. I don't think I ever will."
The two stood in silence until Mitchie broke down in tears, her knees buckling. Shane caught her before she could fall and they both slid down the wall to the ground.
"Shane, I'm so sorry," she sobbed, clinging to him. He responded only by holding her even tighter; he was crying, too.
When they had both calmed down, Mitchie spoke again. "Shane?"
"Yeah, Mitch?"
"I love you, too."
The End