Hey! I'm sorry I was out the whole day yesterday and so I couldn't update but I woke up mucho early to get this chapter done and out. I'm leaving for the airport in a few hours! AH! Anyway, to the wonderful readers of mine that are going to push me to try and get internet connection in the hotel: live-in-dreamland1 for reviewing (I LOVE your reviews, they are always one of the first ones I read) 711slurpeerocks for reviewing (thanks for the nice review, doesn't everyone wish to have their own mitchie and tami? Haha) tessa411 for putting it on favs and reviewing (your review was so sweet (: Thank you ) elisabeth2me for reviewing (thank you so much for your super nice comments (: ) and Brazillianprincess for putting it on alert.

You all rock so much! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock or Another Cinderella Story

Chapter 10: Voice Lessons

Mary's POV

I spent the whole ride catching mysterious glances from Tami and Mitchie. The weirdo duo. I ignored them, knowing I would pay a price for it later, I was just too worn out to care. "Going to the studio today?" Tami asked as she approached the junction near Dominique's house.

I nodded. "I need to unwind. Studio please," Tami smiled at me and turned left, driving away from the house. Mitchie sighed. "You can't keep running Mary."

"I can try," I reasoned. "I've been through worse than running Mitch, I can do this." She shook her head. "No you can't. And you know you can't. I just don't understand why you're so scared. Nate's going to be at school every day, sooner or later you're going to have to face him."

I laughed feebly to myself. "I don't know Mitchie. Just… don't start okay?" my voice cracked on the last word and all three of us were quiet on the way to the studio. It was weird, we were rarely every like this.

The last time was when Tami came back crying because her boyfriend broke up with her. This time it was because of Nate. Why were boys always doing this? I leaned my head against the window. That's why I always stayed away from guys. They just weren't… they weren't worth all the time we girls spent on them.

"You can stop here," I told Tami when she was a block away from the studio. "Can't have anyone seeing the Great Pumpkin," I reminded. Tami sighed and patted the dashboard. "You can be such a nuisance sometimes," she scolded her car.

Mitchie and I exchanged looks. "You're so weird Tami," we said for the second time today. It was habitual. She shrugged. "And that's why you love me. Skateboard's in the back. Have fun Mary," She waved me away.

"Bye Mary!" Mitchie called as I slipped out the seat and walked around back. I pulled the great orange door to the side, grabbed my skateboard and slammed the door shut. "Thanks Tam! Bye guys!" I waved as they drove away.

I walked over behind a car and took out a band hanging on my wrist. I bundled up my hair then added on mascara on my eyes and blush on my cheeks. I stopped to observe myself in the side mirror of the car. At least now I didn't look too much like 'Mary'.

Satisfied, I dropped my skateboard and pushed away from the car, heading down to the studio one block away. When I reached I made sure to check around me for any familiar face before I stepped through the front door.

The bell over it jingled pleasantly, and the faint scent of lavender in the room had me relax in a second. "Mary?" A voice called from the back. "Lianne," I called back to acknowledge I had heard her.

A minute later and Lianne was standing in front of me, pulling me into a big bear hug that smelled like honey. "Coco misses you," she said when she pulled away. Coco was her dog that I walked every Saturday night, to help pay for these lessons.

"I miss her too," I turned around and headed for the door that Lianne had come out from. "Lesson's starting?" I asked. "Out back," Lianne waved her hand quickly and winked. "It's nice having you back Mary." I smiled. "I feel nice too."

I stepped into the small room and closed the door behind me, before flipping on the light and dropping my skateboard and my bag—which I had fixed last night—on the floor. I was standing in an empty and extremely small ballet studio, with a tiny storeroom connected to it in the back.

One wall seemed to be made of clear glass, but he other side of the glass was actually a mirror, so no one would realize that I was behind it. The room on the opposite was actually another ballet studio, where official voice lessons were held. Lianne ran not only a dancing academy, but she gave voice lessons too.

I dropped my hoodie next my bag and went to sit with my back against the mirror. It was a kind of ritual I had. I would sit in the studio and wait for the class next door to arrive. Meanwhile, I would just sit there, telling myself how lucky I was for having met Lianne.

She was my dead mother's closest friend. She was my first friend. She wanted to help me, like everyone else. But when I told her that Dominique was the only thing my dad had loved in years, she stepped back. She understood. She knew when to back away, and I found a special comfort in her I couldn't find in Tami or Mitchie.

So she set up this special room for me to go to every voice lesson. She knew I wanted to be a singer. I tried to concentrate on the good parts of my life while I sat there, but my mind kept on wandering back to Nate.

Sooner or later you're going to have to talk to him. I pulled my hair out of my ponytail and ran my hand through it. How soon was soon? Tomorrow, the day after, next week? I wasn't ready, I didn't think I would be ready for a long time.

"Welcome back everyone," Liannes loud voice boomed. Without realizing it, the class had already arrived. I stood up and turned towards the mirror, clearing my throat. It was a good thing this studio was soundproof.

"We missed you Lianne," the class sang to her. I smiled. "I missed you Lianne," I sang back. She nodded approvingly. "At least I know your brains haven't turned to mush while I was away." Everyone laughed. The sound was musical, it always was.

Lianne clapped her hands twice. "Warm ups!" Everyone scrambled to find a place on the floor, then they lied down on their backs and starting singing scales. I did the same and laid down next to the glass. Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti-Do… and back again.

Then the second exercise, breathing. The room was silent except for the sound of steady breathing and a sudden click that echoed through the room next door. I ignored it and moved on to the next exercise.

Dum cha dum cha dum cha cha

When we finished I sat up, beaming. I had forgotten what voice lessons used to be like, and I was beginning to feel the same way I did on my first lesson. "New song!" Lianne called when everyone sat up.

"Awesome," A guy sitting in the back sang, his pitch was very low. Another guy next to him sang the word one pitch higher. It continued until it reached Tess, yes Tess was in the class, who sang it at the highest pitch. I was singing with everyone the whole time.

Lianne smiled. "Yes, yes, I have a guest, here with us today. He has taken some time off to come and teach you."

He? Who was he? I sat up straight, just noticing that someone was standing in front of Lianne. But I was behind them, so I couldn't see him. All the girls in the class started squealing. The guest must be a hot star, I thought impishly to myself.

"Nate from Connect Three!" Lianne announced. Wait, Nate? I backed away from the mirror. No, no more drama! But there he was, standing with his back faced to me, beaming—well I guessed he was—at the class. I dropped my head in my hands. I felt like I was in a soap opera. Nate just happened to be wherever I went.

Wasn't life so ironic? I sat down on the floor and folded my legs, staring at Nate's back. I wanted to be a singer, and I wouldn't let Nate be an obstacle to stop me, I told myself stubbornly. "Alright, today, we're going to be learning a song I wrote yesterday, you'll be the first to hear it," Nate said as he went to stand in the front of the room.

I raised my eyebrows. Interesting. "Alright listen up," he hushed the class and cleared his throat.

Afraid to walk on alone
Afraid to be sure
That even in the darkness
You could find a cure

You're walking on afraid of life
And you're asking yourself why
You're asking yourself why
you're so afraid

But take my hand and follow me through
Hear my footsteps, beating down with you
Feel the wind against you, and suddenly you're free
And you find yourself tangled up in me

"That's the first half," Nate ended his song. The room was so quiet you could hear everyone breathing. I found myself staring at him. The song was like déjà vu all over again. The first two verses were so me. And the last verse. The chorus, I was betting it was. It was so… so us.

That day in the park. My hand flew up to my mouth and I instinctively covered it in shock. Had Nate felt the same way? Couldn't be.

The rest of the lesson was spent teaching us the harmony of the song, but I didn't pay attention. I didn't even sing. I was too busy thinking about Nate. When the lesson ended, I didn't realize it was over until I heard the sudden sounds of ringing cellphones. Cell phones weren't allowed in vocal training and whenever the training was done, everyone immediately got messages and missed calls.

I stood up slowly, grabbing my things and slinging them around my shoulder. I watched as most of the class emptied out until only Lianne, Tess and Nate were left. Tess draped her arms around Nate's waist and I rolled my eyes, ignoring the pang of hurt that jabbed at me.

I turned around quickly, but I thought I saw Nate pull away from Tess. When Tess and Nate had left the room, Lianne turned around and mouthed at the mirror, 'wait'. I nodded and waved my hand towards the door, even though I knew she couldn't see me.

When she had left, I slowly tiptoed over to the door of the studio I was in and pressed my ear against it.

"Nate," Tess's muffled voice pleaded.

"Lianne, where's the bathroom?" He asked, apparently ignoring Tess. I felt a spark of triumph bubble inside of me.

"Over there," I heard Lianne's voice call.

I pressed my ear tighter to the door. The sound of footsteps was getting louder. "Here?" Nate's voice floated into the room and I felt like my heart had frozen for a minute. Nate thought the ballet studio I was in was… the bathroom?

I stood up quickly and grabbed a nearby chair, placing it flimsily under the doorknob. It looked a lot easier when they did it in movies. Window… window. I was shaking from nervousness, my breathing fast and unsteady. I spotted one in the corner of the back room that was attached to the ballet studio. I ran over to it, turning around in horror when I heard the sound of a chair falling.

I knew I didn't put it right! Come on, Mary. Come on! I threw my bag and skateboard through the window and put my hands on the window sill, taking in a deep breath and jumpingthrough the frame. "Ouch!" I exclaimed when my butt hit the concrete.

Inside the room I could hear the sound of the door opening. "What's this chair here for? Hey Lianne! This isn't the bathroom!" Nate called. I couldn't help but snigger a bit. "What? Get away from there!" Lianne's panicked voice sang.

I peeked over the edge of the window to get a better look and saw Lianne push Nate out of the way and stick her head of messy brown hair into the room. She heaved a sigh of relief when she saw I wasn't in there.

"What is it?" Nate asked her. "Oh nothing," she dismissed him as she turned around and closed the door behind her. I smiled at Lianne's ability to act on will; she was such a drama queen.

I picked up my bag which had fallen on the ground beside me and reached over to my skateboard. When I was sure the coast was clear, I skateboarded down the block and to the usual spot outside Mcormy's video store. As expected, Tami and the great pumpkin were waiting for me.

I threw my skateboard into the back and hopped in.

"Mitchie?" I asked, surprised when I saw her behind the wheel. "Oh no… Mitchie don't." I raised an eyebrow. She turned to me and frowned. "Hey, Tami has a license and she's sitting next to me so technically, I'm not breaking any laws here."

"I'm too young to die!" I complained and I sunk back into the seat. Tami laughed. "Both of us are. But I've got university now Mary. I can't help with the driving all the time. Mitchie needs to pick up the slack." She winked at her.

"I'm fine just skateboarding anywhere I want to go," I started. Tami shook her head. "Nah uh. We're not letting your legs fall off. Hit it Sherlock," Tami nudged Mitchie and the car jerked forward.

"Burrito Monday is going to come back," I complained again as I grasped my stomach. "We'll be fine… I think," Mitchie said as she concentrated. I sighed. I was going to have to get used to this.

"Anyway," I said in the most casual tone I could muster. "Yes?" Tami asked. "You guys were giving each other weird signals today after school, could Nate coming to teach the vocal lessons be anything to do with you?" I asked, crossing my arms.

Mitchie turned her head to me. "Wait he's teaching the vocal lessons?"

"Eyes on the road!" Tami screeched as she slapped Mitchie's head back to the front. "Okay, okay," she mumbled.

"I'm waiting," I tapped my fingers impatiently on the windowsill. "No, nothing to do with us. I'm just as surprised as you," Mitchie said. Tami nodded. "I thought he came back to recuperate because he didn't want to sing anymore?"

Wait, what in the world was Tami talking about?

"But he sang perfectly fine!" I exclaimed. "He did?" Tami asked with surprise. "So I guess he's fine then. You're still so worried about him, Mary. Admit it. Talk to him." She shot another weird glance at Mitchie who was too concentrated on the road to reciprocate.

I leaned back against the chair again. What happened to Nate? And what on earth were the weirdo duo going to do to me? I sighed and grasped the edge of the seat when Mitchie practically flew over a road bump.

I had never had so many things on my mind at once.

Anyway I really gotta go now! I'll try to get internet connection there but if I cant, PLEASE DON'T GET TIRED OF THIS STORY! There's so few people reading it now, and it's saddening cause I want more insight ):

Please review okay! Even if you just put it on alert or something, just one word would make my day! Thank you, and have a nice week if I can't come back to fanfiction while im away! Merry early Christmas!

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Causeimfearless (: