Preview:
"So your mom crushes all your dreams. Don't listen to her. Since she told you it won't happen, doesn't that make you want it harder. I thought for a moment, and then the realization dawned on me.
"Yeah, it does. Thanks, Nate!! So you're saying I should apply for financial aid or a scholarship, and not tell my mom? And then maybe go to Camp Rock and still not tell her?"
"Um, well…" Nate seemed kind of shocked, but I rushed on.
"Thanks! It seems like it'll work!" I said brightly.
"But-I wasn't suggesting…." His voice trailed off.
"So you'll help me?"
"What?" I asked, once I saw that Nate seemed a little uncomfortable.
"Listen, Lily, I wasn't suggesting that. It's just…don't you think your mom will notice if you run off for 8 weeks?"
"Nate, please listen to me," I pleaded. "I don't know why, but this feels like something I HAVE to do. I have to do this, I just know it. I don't know why, but there's this feeling that I have, and my feelings are usually right." Nate looked skeptical. I sighed.
"Okay, my feelings are sometimes right, but I know this time is different! Will you please, please help me?" He considered it.
"2 conditions. 1: If your parents find out, I had nothing to do with it." I nodded.
"Condition 2?"
"Condition 2: I get to come with you." A smile spread across his face.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you times a million!!" He laughed.
"Okay, now I'm serious." I said. "How are we going to get to Camp Rock for 8 weeks without my parents knowing? And what about yours?" I added.
"Me? Don't worry. My parents will probably be glad, and I'll probably get my two other brothers to come with me."
"What, are you saying your parents want to get rid of you?" I teased.
"In a manner of speaking, yes." I guess I looked confused, because he went on to explain. "Well, I guess you could say my brothers and I play a lot of music, so it's usually pretty loud in my house. I think my parents will be happy to have some peace."
"I guess I don't play my music loud enough, because my parents want me right where they can see me. A little overprotective, I guess you could say."
"Well, back to the task at hand. Your parents are obviously going to know that you're away."
"Yeah."
"But we can't have them knowing where you are."
"Yeah." So far, this was seeming impossible.
"But who says they have to think you're at Camp Rock?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, we tell them you're going to stay with…your Uncle Sam because he needs some help on the farm this summer."
"But I don't have an Uncle Sam on a farm. I have an Uncle Charlie who lives on a farm. My Uncle Sam lives in Seattle."
"Okay, you're staying with your Uncle Charlie."
"But if they call and I'm not there…" So far, I could see big holes in Nate's brilliant plan.
"You have a cell phone?"
"Yeah." I pulled out my blue sidekick to show him.
"So, at first you go down there-as far as your parents know-all excited. But then, oh no! Uncle Charlie's phone is broken! So your parents can only call you on your cell phone!"
"Yeah!!"
"Can you say anything but yeah?"
"Yeah!!"
"Lily…"
"Okay, fine, I'll stop," I said giggling. "But what if my Uncle Charlie calls my parents and says I'm not there?"
"We have to get him to agree to the plan," Nate explained.
"I'm sure he will. He's the one who taught me how to play the guitar when I was little."
"Great! Call him!" I punched the numbers in my phone, and finally, Uncle Charlie picked up.
"Lily!" Nate whispered. "Speaker!"
"Oh right!" I hurriedly pressed the button, and Uncle Charlie's voice filled the speaker.
"Hello?"
"Hi Uncle Charlie!
It's Lily!"
"Hi Lily! What's up with you?"
"Well, my friend Nate and I had a really big favor to ask you, and if you say no, I'll understand because it's really big and-"
"Lily! Just ask!"
"Well, I want to go to Camp Rock really badly."
"Great!"
"Well, my parents said no, so I was wondering if you could…you could tell them I was staying with you while I went. And we can tell them the phone's broken so they'll call me on my cell…"
The other end was silent, and I looked at Nate worriedly.
"Just hold on," he mouthed.
"You know what Lily, I'm going to go out on a limb here. Okay, I'm in. I'll call your parents and ask them to let you come down."
"Oh, be sure to tell them I'd be working for the summer!"
"Will do, call you later!"
"Bye, Uncle Charlie!"
I looked at Nate, grinning widely.
"I'm going to Camp Rock!!"