The first couple of days of camp, Ivy did her best to avoid Connect 3 completely. She would have tried to avoid Caitlyn, too, but that proved to be too difficult as she and Mitchie were practically inseparable once camp classes officially started. The only time she didn't see Caitlyn with Mitchie was when Mitchie was hanging out with Shane.
After thinking about it, Ivy decided that it was somewhat comforting to know that Caitlyn was almost always with Mitchie; at least she wasn't with Nate.
"Hey, Ivy, do you wanna chill with me and the guys before our next class?" Sander asked Ivy after lunch, where Ivy was helping clean up the mess hall. Connie was nearby, clearing some dishes, trying to look like she wasn't listening.
"I would, but I should really help Aunt Connie in the kitchen. It is my job after all," Ivy told him. Sander's smile only dropped a fraction. It was the third day in a row Ivy had declined his invitation.
"Alright," Sander said, only a hint of dejection in his voice. "I'll see you later."
"You know, honey, I love how dedicated you are to the job, but you can have some fun, too," Connie told her niece, setting down the dirty trays to face her. "This isn't a twenty-four seven job. Go have fun, make some friends. That Sander boy seems to like you."
Ivy pulled on a fake smile. "No, that's alright. I'm here to work, not have fun."
Connie gave Ivy a knowing look. "You're avoiding that Nate boy, aren't you?" Ivy looked down to the ground. "I don't know exactly what went on between you two, but you can't hide from him forever, Ivy. You're going to have to face him eventually."
"I know," Ivy conceded. "But can't I just hide out here until camp's over, Aunt Connie?" She pouted. Unfortunately, it didn't have the same effect as when she was five.
"Now what kind of aunt would I be if I let you hide from your fears?"
"The best aunt in the whole wide world?" Ivy grinned.
"Nice try," Connie smirked. "Now go catch up with that Sander boy. I'll finish cleaning up." She smacked Ivy's butt as she reluctantly followed after Sander. "Oh! And if Nate ever does anything to upset you, just remind him that we're the ones who handle all the food around here."
Connie smiled as she heard Ivy's laughter from the behind the door.
xoxoxo
"Hey, Sander! Wait up!" Ivy called out, jogging to catch up to the boy. Sander's face lit up as he saw her. Once again, Ivy found it hard to fight off a smile when she saw his smile. "Change of plans. You're stuck with me."
"You say that like it's a bad thing," Sander teased, throwing his arm around Ivy. Apparently, this was their "thing" now.
When they arrived at the lake, where their next class was apparently going to be held, Ivy saw that everyone was already there, huddled together. Ivy hated the way her stomach churned as she noticed Nate standing awfully close to Caitlyn.
"Hey, who's that singing? She looks kind of familiar," Mitchie commented, referring to the curly-haired brunette girl singing acapella by the lake, a small audience gathered around her. Ivy agreed, she looked quite familiar...
"Shari?" Nate said aloud, and Ivy realized who he was talking about.
"The waitress?" Ivy questioned.
Caitlyn looked at Nate and Ivy, puzzled. "You both know her?"
"Oh, she was the waitress at one of the restaurants in Mitchie's hometown," Nate answered, leaving out the more intimate details. Ivy felt her heart constrict at the memory of that night.
Once Shari finished, (she had an amazing voice!), she recognized Ivy and Nate and made her way over.
Oh, just shoot me now, Ivy thought.
"Hey, you guys are the cute couple from the restaurant," she exclaimed brightly. "I'm Shari, remember me? The nosy, meddlesome waitress?" She laughed. "I can't believe we're all at Camp Rock! What a small world, huh? So are things between you guys? I missed the end of the conversation because my boss was threatening to fire me for socializing with complete strangers... again."
Six pairs of eyes widened as they digested what Shari had just implied, Shari just waiting for an answer innocently, looking back and forth between Nate and Ivy. Mitchie and Shane tensed, expecting some sort of explosion. Jason just continued to glare at Ivy, which he hadn't stopped since she arrived. Nate and Ivy just blushed silently.
"You guys dated?!" Caitlyn was the first to speak, shocked.
"Did we forget to mention that?" Ivy retorted meekly, shrugging.
"Dated? As in past tense?" Shari asked, confused. "But you two looked so in love."
Oh, if only looks could kill...
"In love?" Sander repeated.
"I think I've said too much already," Shari said, a bit scared at the glare Ivy was giving her. "I'll just catch up with you guys some other time! Bye! And sorry!" And with that, she bounced away.
"Okay, what's going on?" Caitlyn asked, inquisitive glaring at Nate and Ivy.
"We dated while I was in town," Nate offered. "It was nothing serious."
Ivy could feel the tears prickling her eyes. Damn being emotional.
"Yeah," Ivy agreed quietly, though it killed her to say it. "It's all in the past now."
Caitlyn looked once more between Nate and Ivy before accepting their story. "Alright."
Sander, on the other hand, wasn't fooled quite as easily. (That's a shocker, a guy being more perceptive than a girl hehe...) Even after only knowing Ivy for a short period of time, he could hear the pain in her voice as she said that. Mitchie and Shane, too, were sending worried glances Ivy's way, but she was determined not to break down in front of everyone. And especially not in front of Nate.
"You know, I should probably go back and help Aunt Connie finish clearing things out. I really shouldn't have left her to clean up by herself." Ivy fumbled, wanting nothing but to get out of there, away from the curious glares of her new friends. Without waiting for a response, she left the group, willing her tears to just wait a few more minutes before bursting.
Instead of heading towards the kitchen, like she said, she ran out to the lake, collapsing on the dock in tears.
After a few minutes of openly sobbing, she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around to see it was Sander.
"Ivy..." he started.
"Please, Sander," Ivy croaked, "Not now. Just... not now."
"Is there anything I can do for you?" Sander asked, feeling helpless. He hated seeing Ivy like this and not understanding and not being able to help.
"Can you -- Do you think you could get Shane for me?"
"Shane? Are you sure you don't want me to get Mitchie?" Sander asked, confused as to why she would ask for the pop star rather than her cousin and best friend.
"Yes. I need... I need to speak to Shane. Please." Sander just nodded and left.
While waiting for the pop star to arrive, Ivy tried her best to get the sobs to subside and make herself slightly more presentable. Getting up from her fetal-like position, she sat up straight, dangling her legs off the dock.
"Sander said you wanted to talk to me?" Shane asked, approaching the smaller girl. He was confused as to why she would ask for him. While they had been friends during his stay in their hometown, he had never been as close to her as Nate or Jason had been.
"I'm really sorry for having to put you in the middle of this," Ivy apologized. Shane sat down next to her on the dock. "I just... I didn't know who else to talk to. Me, you, and Mitchie are the only ones who know the whole story."
"Why didn't you ask for Mitchie?"
"In case you haven't noticed, Caitlyn's her best friend here at camp. Even more so than me," Ivy said a little bitterly. "And I don't want to have to put her between me and Caitlyn." Shane nodded understandingly.
"So what's up?" Shane asked.
"I just," Ivy said before bursting out into tears again. Instinctively, Shane wrapped a comforting arm around the smaller girl, rubbing her back. Ivy leaned into him, soaking his shirt with tears.
"I'm so sorry," Ivy said once she was able to control her tears, remaining in his embrace. "I've just... God, I've been such a mess for a long time now." Shane just remained silent, not knowing how to respond to this. "I don't know how much Mitchie told you... but I regret how I ended things with Nate. I cared about him so much, I still do. I just... I thought I was doing what was best for him."
"I know you did," Shane said in a soothing voice.
"I miss him," Ivy whispered. After a moment of silence, she asked, "Did he... Did he miss me?"
"He missed you so much, Ivy," Shane told her. "I guess Mitchie didn't tell you because she didn't want you feeling guilty, but Nate was really torn up about it for the longest time. I had never seen him like that before. It scared me. He'd cry at night when he thought we couldn't hear him, but we did. He'd write songs like crazy. I looked at a few when he wasn't around, and they were all so depressing. He never stopped caring about you, Ivy."
"But he's moved on, hasn't he? To Caitlyn."
"I honestly don't know," Shane admitted. "But can you blame him?"
"No, I can't," Ivy confessed. "And that's what makes it even harder for me. Because I can't blame him. I can't be angry with him. If I could, I wouldn't be as depressed. But it's my own fault."
All of a sudden, they heard footsteps behind them, and an angry voice exclaimed,
"Shane, how could you?"
Cliffie! :) Who do you guys think it is? I haven't completely decided who it should be, so you never know, your opinions and any suggestions could sway me ;)
So to make up for the extraordinarily sucky chapter before, here's another one! Much longer, and hopefully much better! But honestly, after this, updates will be much more spread apart because I STILL haven't finished any of my assignments, and I have six days until school starts.
Disclaimer: Honestly, you should know by now.
Please review and let me know what you loved, what you liked, what you hated? Favorite lines! :)
xoxoxo