Disclaimer: I don't own Camp Rock.
Author's Note: Please don't be mad, but this still isn't the date. PaNcAk3s assured me that it was okay to take my time (thank you, Nicole). The good news is that I actually have a plan for the rest of the story, so the date will be next. This is new and strange for me because I never have a plan beyond the chapter I'm writing. I'm a serial one-shot writer (even my chaptered fics are really a string of one shots).
Dedication: To PaNcAk3s because she said she liked my two "filler" chapters and didn't mind me putting off the date.
Caitlyn wasn't sure if she was going to make it until seven. Now that Shane was gone and she was left on her own, she was overwhelmed by a flood of emotions –guilt, confusion, fear and something best described as sexual frustration.
She felt guilty that she had planned on sleeping with her best friend's ex. She felt guilty that she had hoped to go on at least one date with him without talking to Mitchie about it. That guilt was only compounded by the fact that Shane had actually done the right thing and addressed the issue head-on. Now that Mitchie knew, Caitlyn had to call and talk to her about it, and she really didn't want to do that.
Caitlyn hadn't called Mitchie after Shane left because she was so embarrassed by the fact that she had thrown herself at him, only to be rejected. Plus, she really wasn't sure he would actually ask her out, so why invite drama over nothing. Plus, she figured if he did ask, it would be okay to go on a date with him and figure out if it was going anywhere before bothering Mitchie with it. But deep down, she knew this was all just crap. Caitlyn really liked the Shane who had shown up at her door last night. She hadn't called Mitchie because she really didn't want her friend to tell her not to go out with him. And this fact made her a horrible friend.
This led to her confusion; she didn't do things like this. She was usually a very loyal, honorable person – not the sort of girl to hook up with her friend's ex behind her back. And why was she so drawn to Shane now? They had known each other for almost six years, and before last night she had never considered dating him. Sure, she had on occasion wondered what he would be like in bed, but even then she imagined a drunken fling, not a relationship. He had been sweet, but Jason and Nate were always that way; she had never wanted to be with either of them the way she did Shane right now. Maybe it was the fact that his behavior towards her had been so different from what she expected. He was being so caring and open with his thoughts and emotions; he hadn't even been like this with Mitchie. She remembered all the phone calls from Mitchie complaining how Shane never expressed his feeling verbally – how she needed more than kisses and songs. But Shane had been very clear about what he was feeling and what he wanted, and that scared her.
Was this all happening too fast? Was she ready to be in a real relationship? She remembered what happened with Shane and Mitchie, and she didn't want to be crushed like that. Was it better to just not get involved because you couldn't get hurt that way? All these thoughts and emotions were almost too much to deal with at once.
Caitlyn finally decided that she needed to call Mitchie and get things out in the open. She and Mitchie had been friends for too long to throw it away over a guy, even a guy as amazing as Shane had been recently. She picked up her phone, dialed and waited for Mitchie to pick up, almost hoping she wouldn't.
"Hey, Cait," Mitchie answered.
"Hi Mitch," Caitlyn responded. "Anything interesting going on?" She believed Shane when he said he called her, but just in case, she thought she would let Mitchie bring it up.
On the other end of the phone, Mitchie rolled her eyes. She knew exactly what her friend was doing. "Nothing much. Just folding some laundry. I may grab some coffee with Peggy later today." Mitchie paused for dramatic effect before adding, "Oh, and Shane called me this morning to ask permission to date you."
It was Caitlyn's turn to roll her eyes before adding nervously, "Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about that." She took a deep breath before continuing. "I should have been the one to call you, and I'm sorry about that. I honestly wasn't sure if he was serious about the date idea. And… I should also tell you," Caitlyn couldn't believe how hard it was to say this next part out loud, "I invited him over last night planning on sleeping with him. I know that makes me a horrible person, and I can't tell you how awful I feel about it. I hope that you'll forgive me because your friendship…"
Mitchie cut off Caitlyn's monologue, "Caitlyn, stop. I already knew about the sex thing. Shane told me this morning."
"He what?" Caitlyn asked, mortified at the thought of Shane and Mitchie discussing her unsuccessful advances.
"It wasn't as bad as it sounds. He was trying to convince me he was serious about you. Didn't he tell you this himself?"
"No, he just said he called and asked you if it was okay to date me." Caitlyn thought back to their conversation earlier in the day. "To be honest, he didn't even tell me your answer."
"I said okay," Mitchie answered.
Caitlyn digested that information for a moment. "Did you actually mean it, or was it just something you said to get him off the phone hoping that as your best friend I would know what you really wanted?"
"Huh?" Mitchie said in confusion.
"Did you want me to say no, so you didn't have to?" Caitlyn asked simply.
Mitchie thought about the question and then said, "Before I answer that, can I ask you a few questions?"
"Sure, Mitch. Anything."
"Why didn't you call me last night when you got the card from your father?"
That was not what Caitlyn had been expecting. She sighed. "I thought about calling you or Nate, but I knew that you would both want me to talk about it. And I really wanted to just forget about the whole thing – a distraction. And you know Shane's reputation; I thought he would be up for it. I know that's not a good excuse, but I just needed something to block out how much it hurt."
"Caity, next time you feel that way, please tell me. I won't push you to talk if you ask me not to," Mitchie said. Then she moved on to her next question. "And now the next issue. I know how Shane feels about you, but how about you?"
Caitlyn whined, "Mitch, do I have to?"
"Yes, Caity. I need to know. And remember, I know you well enough to tell when you're lying," Mitchie replied.
"Honestly Mitchie, I'm scared. Scared that I'm going to get hurt ; that none of this is real. He was so amazing last night – totally different from what I expected. He was sweet and funny. And he's only been gone a few hours, and I miss him already. He made me feel special and wanted, which I haven't felt in a really long time, if ever" Caitlyn explained. "And I really want to be with him, but talking to you, I realize that if you need me to, I'll walk away."
Mitchie thought carefully before speaking. She was over Shane in that she no longer wanted to date him. If she was honest with herself, though, she knew that she still had some unresolved issues from their breakup; she still wondered why she hadn't been enough for him. Could she handle seeing him with someone else? Could she still be friends with Caitlyn if she was with Shane? Part of her wanted to say no, but she could hear something in her friend's voice that she had never heard before. Caitlyn had never had much luck dating; she had always felt like one of the guys. Even with her one long-term boyfriend, Caitlyn had always doubted herself. If Shane was able to make Caitlyn feel special, make her feel confident in his feelings for her, who was Mitchie to take that away from her? Somehow she would make it work.
"Caitlyn, I don't think this is going to be easy, but if you think that this will make you happy, then okay," Mitchie finally said.
"Mitch, do you mean that?" Caitlyn asked, her voice thick with unshed tears.
"I do, sweetie," Mitchie said with sincerity. "But we may need to have a 'don't ask, don't tell' policy until I get used to the idea."
Caitlyn let out a small laugh. "Deal! And I really am sorry Mitch."
"I know. Trust me, if anyone can understand the Shane Gray charm it is me."
"I remember."
All of a sudden something occurred to Mitchie. "He did ask you out, right?"
"He did. He asked me to dinner tonight," Caitlyn replied.
"So what are you wearing?" Mitchie asked.
"Honestly I've been too busy sitting on the couch feeling guilty to give it much thought."
Mitchie grinned. "Might I recommend that black dress you wore to my album release party. With your hair down and curly."
"I love you Mitchie," Caitlyn said, knowing it couldn't be easy for her friend.
"I love you too, Caitlyn. I'll talk to you later." With that Mitchie hung up the phone.
Caitlyn set her phone down before collapsed back against her couch cushions. She knew that Mitchie was hesitant about the idea, but she loved her friend for being willing to let her try this, for understanding how much she needed Shane right now. And he had obviously said something to Mitchie to convince her that hiss intensions towards Caitlyn were honorable. Eventually she would have to ask him what he told Mitchie.
Caitlyn's musings were interrupted when her phone beeped, indicating that she had received a text. Glancing at the screen, she saw it was from Shane. "Do you have any food allergies or preferences I should know about before I pick a restaurant?"
She smiled and typed back, "Nope!"
"I was thinking seafood, and Nate said I should ask."
Caitlyn's smile turned into a huge grin. He was actually putting thought into this date, and he was asking his friends for advice. It was sweet, which was a word that before last night she never associated with Shane Gray.
"Always a good idea. Anaphylactic shock can be a real mood killer," she typed back.
She blushed at his response. "Yeah, I want to be the only thing taking your breath away tonight."
Shaking her head in disbelief, she sent him a reply. "Cheesy much?"
A moment later her phone beeped again, "Only for you. See you at 7!"
Caitlyn put her phone back down on the coffee table, still smiling from Shane's texts. All of a sudden she realized that the fear, guilt and confusion were gone. Now she was just excited about spending the evening with Shane. And she was still sexually frustrated. But the little black dress Mitchie recommended might fix that problem.
