Chapter 2: Meeting with Brown

Callie and Maddie froze as they felt a hand on their shoulders. Turning around, they stared straight into the eyes of Callie's Great-Uncle Brown.

"Great-Uncle Brown…" Callie gulped as she put on a brave smile. Maddie looked like she was about to faint, and Brown did not look the least bit amused.

"Well, well, well," Brown remarked solemnly, folding his arms. "If it isn't my favorite grand-niece and her best friend. What are you two doing here?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," Callie said, feeling like she was about to go to the principal's office.

"I see. Let's talk in my cabin, shall we?" Brown suggested. "Maddie can come along too."

Brown led them away, while some of the other campers stared at Callie and Maddie, whispering curiously to each other and wondering what was going on.

"Who's that girl with Brown?"

"I don't know, but she looks like she's in trouble."

"Will she get to stay?"

"Who knows? And who's that other girl with her?"

"No idea…but I'm sure we'll find out sooner or later."

Once Callie and Maddie were safely inside Brown's cabin, they sat down and waited for Brown to give them his full attention.

"Let me have it," Brown said, looking at Callie.

"OK, I really wanted to come here. Dad wouldn't let me, so I snuck out and came here, hoping you'd let me stay. Please, Great-Uncle Brown. Don't send me back. Being here…it's my dream. I'll do anything you want, just please, let me stay."

"For the last time, don't call me Great-Uncle. Just call me Uncle Brown…I'm not THAT old." Brown winced as Callie and Maddie giggled. Then Brown became serious. "Callie, sweetheart, I can't. You know the rules. Your dad has to sign the permission form. And since he won't, you can't stay here." Brown said.

"What if I get Mom to sign it?" Callie asked hopefully.

"Over your father's dead body," Brown said, shuddering at the thought. "Your father, he'd never let you come here, and he certainly won't let your mom allow you to. I'm sorry, Callie. You know I'll have to call your parents."

"No!" Callie said, looking extremely afraid now. "What if…what if I worked in the kitchen? I'll work as much as I need to so I can attend classes and everything. Please let me stay, Uncle Brown. Please…"

"I'm sorry, but it's out of my hands. I'll need to speak with your parents," Brown waved her and Maddie out, then dialed Shane's number.

"Hello?" Shane said anxiously.

"Shane, it's good to hear you. It's your uncle," Brown said.

"Is Callie there?" Shane said impatiently.

"Yes, she is. Would you like to…" Brown was about to ask if Shane wanted to talk to his daughter, but Shane interrupted.

"I'm on my way. MITCHIE!" Shane yelled as he hung up.

"Whoa…hon, what is it? Shane, what's wrong?" Mitchie braced herself for the worst.

"Callie…she's at Camp Rock." Shane said, grabbing his car keys.

"Hold on, I'm coming too…" Mitchie knew she'd have to intervene once Shane saw his daughter again, because Shane would go ballistic and scream at her for days, and then ground her until she was 100.

Back at Camp Rock…

"Callie?" Brown left his cabin and spotted her and Maddie by the lake. Callie looked up, startled, and hastily wiped her eyes, as Maddie squeezed her friend's hand slightly.

"So…you talked to my parents. And they're coming to take me home. Who cares, I'll just come back here," Callie sniffled. Maddie hugged her and tried to comfort her.

"Callie, sweetheart, I know you love this place. Unfortunately, unless your dad signs the form, there's really not much I can do," Brown frowned as he tried unsuccessfully to comfort her.

"Yes, there is. You're the director, aren't you? You can bend the rules, but you won't," Callie snapped, becoming angry.

Brown was about to say, "No buts," but Callie interrupted.

"You're just like Dad. You don't want me here, do you? You'll do anything to make sure I don't stay here, just so my dad won't come over here and yell at you for letting me stay. You know what? Since you don't want to help me, just leave me alone." With that, Callie stomped off toward the one place she loved…the lake. She saw the canoes not far from where she was, and made her way towards them.

"Maddie, get over here and help me with this!" Callie hissed, as Maddie ran to do her bidding.

"Good Lord, she's more like Shane than I ever imagined. She's a handful, that one," Brown sighed as he watched Callie and Maddie head toward the canoes.

"I'm sorry, Callie," Maddie said, once they had gotten out on the lake. Maddie looked really sad for her friend.

"Why? You didn't do anything wrong. In fact, you're the only one who understands me right now," Callie said, still seething with fury.

"I'm not the only one," Maddie said.

"What are you talking about?" Callie looked confused.

"The frogs, of course! They're sad for you too," Maddie said matter-of-factly. Then she made a face. "On second thought, forget frogs. They eat flies, and that's just…eww!" Maddie scrunched her face up in thought, then smiled. "Forget that. What about chipmunks? They're soooo cute. Especially with their bushy tails, and they look so adorable when they're gathering nuts. Better yet, when they stuff nuts into their mouths, and their cheeks look huge…"

Callie managed to smile at her friend babbling, then said, "Thanks, Maddie."

"For what? I didn't do anything. Did I?" Maddie said, trying to remember if she did.

"Yeah, you did," Callie let her friend feel good for once. Maddie smiled, thinking she'd cheered her friend up completely.

"Do you think Dad would mind if I brought a chipmunk home? Or maybe 2? 'Cuz if I just got 1, he'd be lonely…" Maddie wondered aloud. "Yeah, I'll get a guy chipmunk and a girl chipmunk, and they'll be happy. But wait…how would I know which one's a guy, and which one's a girl?" Maddie looked confused as she thought really hard, and Callie appreciated the temporary silence.

Callie rowed out from shore, and let her mind wander back to the happiest times of her life.

"Look Daddy! Look Mommy! Watch me sing!" 6 year old Callie shouted as she jumped up on the table. Grabbing a turkey baster, she started singing a song from Les Miserables, called Castle On A Cloud.

When she finished, Callie smiled and bowed when she saw her parents clapping.

"Callie, that was great! You were amazing!" Mitchie had nothing but praise for her daughter, and Callie beamed, clearly loving the attention.

"Yes, you were. Look out, Broadway, here comes Callie!" Shane picked his daughter up and swung her around in a circle, smiling as Callie laughed and said, "Not yet, Daddy. I have to practice lots more."

"OK, honey, but you need to eat too. And dinner's in an hour," Mitchie reminded her.

"Yes, Mommy," Callie said as she started singing another song. Shane and Mitchie smiled to one another before leaving the room. Callie twirled around as she sang, pretending that she had an audience of hundreds.

End of Flashback

Callie remembered when she got the call 2 years later, when she was 8. It was the call that changed her life forever.

"Callie?" Shane called his daughter.

"Yes, Daddy?" Callie said, as she took a break from singing.

"Guess what?" Shane said, barely able to keep the excitement from his voice.

"What?" Callie started getting excited too.

"You know how someone called just now?" Shane paused as Callie nodded. "That was the director. Honey, you got the part!"

"YAY!" Callie squealed. "I'm gonna be on Broadway!"

"Callie, that's wonderful!" Mitchie said, coming in from the other room. She'd been talking to the director. "We're so proud of you!"

"Just wait till Nate hears about this," Shane said, smiling. "On second thought, don't get him started. He'll just go on and on about his favorite Broadway memories. Trust me, Callie, you don't want to go there."

End of Flashback

"Earth to Callie…" Maddie waved her hand in front of Callie's face. Callie forced herself to break free from her thoughts, and looked at her friend.

"What is it, Maddie?" Callie sighed.

"I was just thinking…if they don't let you stay here, will they kick me out too?" Maddie wondered.

"No, Maddie. Your dad's teaching here, so you can stay with him while I'm gone," Callie said for the millionth time.

"But I don't want to stay. It won't be fun without you," Maddie looked sad.

"Thanks, Maddie," Callie managed a small smile. "But what about the chipmunks?"

"They'll be OK," Maddie said seriously. "At least they have each other. But if I stay here and you leave, you won't have anyone."

The girls hugged as Maddie's eyes grew large. "Callie, look!"

"What is it?" Callie wondered as she glanced back to shore. Striding purposefully to the water's edge were her parents and Brown. Shane looked positively murderous, his eyes were blazing daggers, and next to him was Mitchie, her eyes a mixture of anger and sadness. Brown looked like he was there to referee a soon-to-be smackdown that he really didn't want to watch.

"Oh no," Callie gulped, seeing the look on her parents' faces and Brown. She'd never seen her dad that mad before. She'd only heard about her dad's temper, but was obviously fortunate enough not to experience it first-hand. That is, until now.

"Your parents look really mad," Maddie said, stating the obvious. "What are we going to do?"

"It's time to face the music, I guess," Callie said, taking the oars in her hands and rowing. "It's now or never."

"Whatever happens, Callie, I'm on your side," Maddie said, as Callie dreaded the lecture she knew was coming.

AN: Ooh, Callie's gonna get it! What will Shane and Mitchie say? Will Callie be able to stay at camp? Who knows? I'm not even sure I do (lol). Please review…it'll make me post chapters up faster.