A/N Hola! This is a gift for MariaBernal. It's her birthday December 1st. Happy Birthday Maria!!
P.S. For those of you who are waiting for updates to X-men 101, Sick and Tired and Letters on Her Grave, they're coming! I get my life back next Monday, so updates should be coming before Christmas (and definitely before New Years).
As always, I don't own it.
This is the quote I used for my prompt.
Mitchie Torres: Shane!
Shane Gray: You were lying all summer!
Mitchie Torres: Yes, but I...
Shane Gray: You know, I'm so used to people pretending around me.
Mitchie Torres: I was not pretending!
Shane Gray: And I really thought you were different. But you're just like everyone else! You want to be friends with Shane Gray, not me! Trick's on me, huh?
Mitchie Torres: I was just trying to...
Shane Gray: Save it for your interview with Pop Informer Magazine. I know I gave you an earful.
Mitchie sat on the dock, her eyes red from crying. Her conversation, if you could call it that, with Shane was playing through her head over and over.
"And I really thought you were different. But you're just like everyone else! You want to be friends with Shane Gray, not me!" echoed through her brain, pushing her to tears again.
She stared out at the lake. Was she really so shallow, so heartless? Two hours ago she would have fought tooth and nail against anyone who said she was. But now? Now it wasn't just Tess or Caitlyn. Now it was everyone. The whole camp. But more importantly it was Connect 3, Shane, her idols. Sniffling softly Mitchie stared into the lake water and wished she could leave camp so she wouldn't see the hateful faces of those who knew the truth about her.
"Hey there, you alright?" a deep voice asked from behind her. Mitchie nearly jumped into the lake in surprise before turning to see the guy who startled her. Her heart stuttered before sinking even lower in her chest. It was Jason Black, Shane's band mate and good friend. The look of surprise in his eyes gave away his discomfort of seeing her.
"Well?" Jason questioned again. Mitchie was surprised that he still wanted her to answer, but she did anyway.
"No," she mumbled miserably.
"What's wrong?" Jason asked, sitting down next to her.
"You were there, you saw what happened," Mitchie replied, not looking him in the eyes.
"Yeah, I was. And then I heard Shane rant about it for a while. So, for fairness sake, I think it's best if I hear what you have to say too," Jason replied.
"There's not much to tell. Shane was right, but I wasn't trying to use him. I just lied because I wanted to fit in for once. I'm not any different from anyone else, just like he said. I just use people," Mitchie said with tears running down her face.
"No," Jason said after several minutes of silently rubbing the distraught girl's back.
"Is there more to that statement?" Mitchie asked softly.
"I mean no, you're wrong. Shane's wrong is what I really mean. I'm botching this up," Jason grumbled. Mitchie couldn't help the small giggle that snuck through her lips.
Jason continued, heartened by her positive response. "Shane was obviously overreacting. If you were really using him then you wouldn't be sitting on the dock sobbing about hurting his feelings. You really and truly care for him. And everyone lies about who they are at one point or another. Sure, so you said that your mom works for HotTunes China. Big deal! Everyone wants to pretend they're something they aren't at one point in time or another. Wanna know what I used to tell people?" he asked.
Mitchie was shocked at Jason's speech, yet what he said made complete sense. She wasn't a bad person and she wasn't using Shane or anyone else, she was just fantasying. "What?" she asked, smiling.
"I was the inspiration behind Jacob Black in the Twilight series," he whispered in her ear.
Mitchie laughed before seeing his straight face. "Really?" she asked, shocked.
"No!" he replied, laughing. Mitchie joined in, their laughter harmonizing in the afternoon sun.
Sometime later both of them lie wheezing on the dock, their sides sore from the laughter.
"Feeling better?" Jason said when he could breathe again.
"Yeah. Thanks," Mitchie replied breathlessly.
"JASON!" someone yelled from the main cabin.
"That's my cue," he said, helping Mitchie to her feet.
"Don't let Shane get to you again. He's just a drama queen," Jason said.
"I won't," Mitchie replied before shyly hugging him.
"Thanks again for helping me," she said into his shirt.
"Anytime," he smiled while hugging her back.
"JASON!!!" the person yelled again, this time louder and angrier.
He released her from the hug and planted a soft kiss on her forehead before saying, "See you around Mitchie."
Mitchie stood, rooted in that spot in shock, for some time. He had already left camp when she whispered, "Yeah, see you around."