A/N: Alright, so I am sorry it's been awhile. But I have a horrible English teacher that adores writing assignments so I've written approximately 8 essays over the course of two months. I know, this may not seem like a lot to some, but it's a lot. This teacher has totally destroyed my love of writing, and I don't want to post crappy chapters, so my updates will be a little slower. I am so sorry, but I don't want to value of the writing (if its good, if not, nothing to lose) to go down any, so I'll wait until I'm in the mood to write before I do it so that this doesn't get jumbled.


Chapter 7

Ringing. Ringing. Why wouldn't it stop? Why couldn't he just leave me alone? It was driving me insane! I had to answer. I had to talk to him to tell him I never wanted to talk to him again. I eyed the phone warily. It rang again. I reached out and snatched it up before I could think about it again. I pressed the phone to my ear.

"Mitchie don't hang up!" His voice was dominated by desperation.

I drew a shaky breath, "I wouldn't have answered if I was going to hang up."

"Please, just listen for five minutes."

"No."

"What?"

"No. You made your choice. Don't call me again."

I hung up and gave in to the tears that I had forced back throughout the entire conversation…

I jerked awake. Damn! I thought those stupid nightmares were gone…

I rolled over and tried in vain to go back to sleep. Eventually, I rolled out of bed, pulled my hair into a ponytail, and changed into my favourite black track suit. If I couldn't sleep I might as well go for a walk.

I exited the cabin quietly and started in the direction of the lakeside trail. It had wooden sections and a breathtaking view of the lake. Memories swirled around me as I passed familiar places in the camp. There had only been a few days after camp, but Shane and I had made the most of those days. Soon my feet started to pound out a steady rhythm and I was running. I was beating my memories of Shane into the ground, I was pounding the frustration and the pain out of my system. Maybe this method would work. I needed everything that was Shane to disappear, but I didn't see that happening while we were partners on this stupid Jam.

My feet hit the ground faster and faster and soon I was sprinting. The wind whipped through my hair, my blood rushed through my veins, pounded in my ears. I relished the alternate universe I was in while I ran. I welcomed the raw feeling of my throat as the air scraped through it, trying to fill my lungs but never quite succeeding. My breath came in gasps as my legs gave out underneath me and I crumbled. I lay on the docks for half a minute, before raising myself up to inspect the damage. Not too bad, just some scraped up knees. Nothing a few minutes of sitting couldn't cure.

I moved off the path to a rock and sat down, still gasping for breath. I had never felt more exhausted than I did right then, but it was worth it because, for the moment, all thoughts of Shane had completely evacuated my mind.


After about ten minutes I was breathing normally once again. I stared blankly out at the lake before me. It was so peaceful. Peace such as this made it hard to believe that during the day this place was alive with chaos of clanging instruments and melodic voices. Right now was the only time I could sit in the quiet and really think, but it was also the only time I couldn't. And that was what I wanted. I wanted to just sit. No thoughts necessary.

"Mitchie?" A voice sounded from behind me, startling me out of my serenity.

"Nate? What are you doing out here?" I asked, surprised to see him. I hadn't really seen a whole lot of the curly-haired pop star outside of class.

"Thinking. I like to walk in the mornings. It's peaceful," he replied, shoving his hands into the pockets of his black skinny jeans.

"It is."

"Couldn't sleep?"

"No. Every time I thought I was safe, the nightmares came back."

"Nightmares?"

"Yeah," I responded. Nate nodded, not needing an explanation. "Do you want to sit?"

"Sure." Nate walked forward and sat on the rock next to mine. We succumbed to the silence for a few minutes, before he spoke again, "Do you ever wonder what your life would be like if you'd never come to Camp Rock?"

I frowned slightly. I wasn't expecting a question like that. "Sometimes. If I hadn't caught that break last year, I would probably be the same, shy girl I was before Camp Rock. This place… this place opened so many doors for me, I can't ever repay Brown for opening this place."

Nate half-smiled, "Me neither."

"What about you?" I asked after a brief pause.

"What about me?"

"Have you ever wondered about it?"

"A little. I'm so caught up in living in the future that I sometimes forget to live in the present, or reflect on the past."

"The future's a dangerous place to live. It's unpredictable."

"I know. But I've been looking out for the band and for myself for so long, it just seems natural to be always looking two or three steps ahead, but I don't look back."

"Sometimes it's good to not look back. You shouldn't waste your life agonizing over what could or should have been," I said. I wasn't sure if that was more for his benefit or for mine.

"Yeah, but sometimes I feel like I need to look back, relax a bit, but I just can't, because I'm automatically in the future. Maybe that's why Caitlyn's my first girlfriend."

"First?"

"Yeah. I've been so caught up in growing up I really haven't dated."

"I know what you mean," I said quietly.

Nate raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't put much effort into getting out there and even really talking to guys before… I was too busy trying to get out of high school. I figured it would all magically get better in the work world…"

"In our line of work, it just gets worse." Nate smiled sadly. "It bothers me. That if Caitlyn and I last past the summer, the press is going to be all over us. I can't protect her from it."

"If?" I asked, smirking slightly.

Nate rolled his eyes, "You know what I meant."

"Yeah… yeah I did."

We lapsed into a comfortable silence until Nate's watch timer went off.

"That's my cue to go," Nate said, standing up.

I looked at him questioningly.

"I set my timer to make sure I get back before the guys wake up. I don't want them harassing me about this."

"Oh." I smiled, understanding what he meant. "It was nice talking to you Nate."

"It was nice talking to you too Mitchie." He smiled, and I returned it, before he turned and walked back to the path, heading to his cabin, before turning back momentarily to ask, "Hey, what happened to your knees?"

I laughed, "Nothing. Tripped."

He nodded and continued on his way, no explanations needed. I sighed and heaved myself off the rock, deciding to head back to my cabin as well.

On the return journey, which was farther than I'd first thought, I pondered the odd circumstances. How talking to Nate, one of Shane's best friends, brought me happiness, not the expected pain. It had been nice to sit and talk about nothing that was in any way related to Shane. I didn't understand how his two best friends could be two of the most comforting people I knew (aside from Caitlyn, of course). I had never really gotten to know Nate over those four months Shane and I… But I found myself liking him more and more. He seemed complicated, in a simple way. Even to me that initially doesn't make sense, but in a way, it makes perfect sense. I arrived back at the cabin to see that no one had even woken up, but the minute I slipped under the covers, the alarm clock went off and we all had to get up again.


Breakfast. I'd had such a refreshing morning that I'd decided to risk it. That was a mistake. The peace I'd felt earlier in the morning was brought to a screeching halt the moment I laid eyes on him. I hated that. How I could go from one emotion to the next so suddenly and swiftly. It was like being on a roller coaster, and I wanted off. Of course, the attendant never lets anyone off until he's satisfied that he's got them good and sick. Then he presses the button to stop the car and thinks about letting you out before he starts the next ride. Looks like my attendant is unnaturally cruel.

I pick at my food, not really paying attention to anything. I was trying to ignore Shane from across the table. I couldn't take it any more. I had to leave.

"I'm going to go help my mom in the kitchen," I said, pushing myself up. I felt Shane's eyes staring at the scratches on my arms, but ignored him.

I entered the kitchen to see my mom eating some of the French Toast.

"Hey honey. Shouldn't you be out eating with Caitlyn and Anna?"

"I would if certain people would go away," I snapped bitterly.

My mom's face was instantly sympathetic, "Honey, I'm sorry, but you've got to deal with it. Shane's going to be around no matter what."

I sighed, she had a point. "You're supposed to say 'oh honey, I'm so sorry!'"

"Oh honey, I'm so sorry!" My mom said.

I rolled my eyes, "Too late for that now."

"Well it won't help you any skipping breakfast. Eat something."

"Yes mom…"

I stared at the notice board while I chewed on the French Toast. Improv Jam was tonight. Every camper was expected to at least sing one line. I wasn't looking forward to it.


A/N: Okay, that was not as long as I intended at all, but I had to get something up. Please review! (if you're still here…)