Chapter 10: Mitchie's Non-Arch Nemesis Returns
"Some men follow rainbows I am told, Some men search for silver, some for gold," smoothly sang the deep timbre of Ray Charles as he awakened me several days after the completion of Caitlyn's present for Jason. It was the first time that I had been given the opportunity to sleep in after early morning classes and even earlier Instructor's meetings, but as Ray beckoned, it appeared this luxury was not to be.
"Some men follow rainbows I am told, Some men search for silver, some for gold," repeated the same chorus. With a groan I reached over towards my bedside table, and after a few misguided attempts I managed to grab my small red cell and tiredly jabbed the "talk" button.
"What?" I managed to greet around a yawn. On the other side of the line I heard a chuckle.
"Morning sunshine, I take it I woke you up?" declared the clearly amused voice that was unmistakably camp director, Brown Cessario.
"Yes, yes you did," I managed to grumble sleepily into the phone. He was to close a family friend to be anything but blunt with.
"Sorry 'bout that sweetheart," claimed Brown in a sincere voice, but as I said earlier he was to close a family friend for me not to notice that he was anything but sincere. After a moments contemplation I decided he wouldn't know anyway and rolled my eyes.
"Did you—" I paused to stretch, "call me so early for a reason Brownie bear?" Now I was just being malicious.
"Hey! Only my wife can call me that!" cried Brown in mock outrage, and I groaned as I held the phone away from my ear.
"You're being way too loud for the morning, Brown," I reprimanded softly. Brown murmured an apology before he got to the point of this forsaken early morning call.
"Now as to why I'm calling, you see I need you to come to the office," suavely charmed Brown.
"Why so early in the morning? Can't it wait until a more decent hour, like… say noon?" I questioned in a whisper spotting movement out of my peripheral vision, I hope I hadn't been talking loud enough to wake Nate. He would not be pleased if I had, or at least I suspected he wouldn't be, he usually wasn't when Jason or Shane's morning conversations woke him.
"No time, I'll explain when you get here, so get here soon, alright?" said Brown, but he didn't wait long before he said, "alright, you really are a doll, Mitch, see you in 5."
"Brown, I didn't—" I began before Brown interrupted me again.
"Alright, Mitchie, 15 minutes then," bargained Brown, I heard a distant muttering that sounded oddly familiar coming from somewhere behind Brown before he began talking again, drowning out the female voice, "sorry Mitch, can't chat at the moment, just get to the office soon, 'kay?"
"Alright Brown, I don't see the—" I hadn't managed to get anymore out as Brown cut me off.
"Yeah, okay Mitchie, I gotta go now, bye love," was his hurried goodbye, but I heard a distinct noise, which sounded like papers crashing to the ground, and an apologetic voice murmuring "Sorry" in the background.
"See ya then Brown," I managed to get out but Brown seemed to be two steps ahead of me and was already walking away from the phone.
"Bye bye Mitchie," he said again and then there was blessed silence. I fought a large yawned as I clicked my own 'end' button and tucked the phone underneath my pillow as I stretched. After hanging up the phone I contemplated just going back to sleep but after much debate with my eyelids I eventually managed to raise myself from my ever messy bed. Prepared to have to face the world, and whatever additional things Brown would throw my way.
I hadn't bothered looking to see if Nate was still asleep—a little afraid I would find his angry glare directed my way if I did—but I didn't have time to rush towards the bathroom to get changed. There was only one thing I could be sure about this early in the morning and it was that I was not answering Brown's summons in only my short shorts and tank top.
I quickly rummaged through my things, trying to distinguish what was clean and what was dirty, after being at camp for a month and nearly a half, you can understand my troubles. Absentmindedly I tossed a few candy wrappers on my bed so I would remember to throw them away later, as it was I was a little strapped for time. I took a step back to observe the state of my things, trying to see if the action would bring anything to the forefront. With an exclamation of success I finally located some clean jean shorts and a semi clean tee.
Swiftly pulling the tee over my head, I had just gotten one foot through the leg hole in my shorts before a voice startled me.
"Mitchie? Why are you up? It's only 6:56 in the morning, go back to bed," came a moan from behind me. I turned slightly and made out the messy curls of my roommate before tripping over my tangled legs. I managed to catch my balance just before I fell; however, I cursed Nate all the same. Something about the boy seemed to turn me into a complete klutz. I usually only became so clumsy around someone I was crushing on, so you can understand my confusion as to why he left me continually tripping over myself...
Caitlyn was right, I really was hopeless…
"I didn't mean to wake you Nate," I whispered feeling slightly guilty. He might have scared me half to death, but if there was one thing I had learned here at camp it was that my roommate adored his sleep, which I think I had now interrupted for the nth time this week alone.
"Where are you going so early in the morning anyway? Caitlyn told me you two were done with your clandestine early morning trysts," mumbled Nate, and just from his tone alone I could hear his eyebrows drawing together. I was still trying to wrestle my jean shorts on so it took me a moment to gather my thoughts to answer him.
"We are but I've been summoned to the office for some inexplicable reason the camp director failed to mention over the phone," I finally answered whilst zipping up my shorts with a sense of triumph. Nate must have felt I hadn't answered him quickly enough because when I looked over he was sitting up in his bed, his feet dangling over the edge.
"Mitchie are you alright over there?" Nate asked lightheartedly and I couldn't fight the blush that found its way to my face, I was just glad I wasn't pants-less still.
"Yeah, just had a little trouble with my shorts," I answered abashed, I swear I heard the usually stoic Nate snort in amusement. As I clambered to my knees to find my shoes, I was startled when the lights flashed on overhead, specks of black dotting my vision in the face of a brightness my eyes weren't accustomed too.
"Isn't this a bit easier?" asked Nate in that teasing tone he seemed to have mastered within the few weeks I had been steadily avoiding him, I wondered what other tricks he had learned. Suppose that girl he had waiting back home should thank me for loosing up her future boyfriend? I sighed, the thought was rather depressing; I hadn't realized I had become so masochistic.
"Yes I suppose," I agreed still trying to clear to my vision of floating flecks, "what are you doing?" I had found my shoes tucked underneath the discarded green sweater Nate had lent me the other week and just as I had gotten up to sit on the bed to tug them on I saw Nate pulling on a white tee over his own shirtless glory. I was sometimes envious of his shameless ability to sleep without a shirt on, especially on some of these muggy summer nights. Not that I didn't appreciate the view.
"I'm up now, I might as well play the gentleman my mother always hoped I'd become," said Nate as he tied his own laces as I struggled to get my own on my feet.
"I don't remember Brown asking me to bring a guard dog," I muttered with raised eyebrows in Nate's direction, who simply shrugged in reply.
"Suppose it was implied," answered Nate with an imperceptible smirk. I laughed in reply, it was rather hard to argue with him when he had set his mind on something, add to that the impossibly cute way such a small smile lit up his face.
"Suppose so," I finally acquiesced, focusing on putting on my sneakers and not grinning like a loon. Be that as it may it took three times before I was able to tie each shoe properly.
"Ah Mitchie there you are!" exclaimed Brown before looking askance in Nate's direction as he followed me through the Office's screen door, "and Nate?"
"I tried to lose him in the woods, but I guess he took some survival training recently and was able to track me down," I said as way of explanation, because Nate was persistent, and Brown knew that.
"Ah alright, excellent—" began Brown as he clapped his hands together but he didn't get much else out before he was interrupted.
"Mitchie Torres? Is that you?" cried an all too familiar voice; I hadn't been expecting to see her here. I mean I had heard rumors, but I thought she would have told me herself before I had left for Camp Rock.
"Hey Tess," I greeted before I had even turned to see her, a nervous smile tugging my lips, "I thought you were in Oregon shooting a film this summer?" Tess looked exactly the same as she had the last time I had seen her, her hair cut short in a bob, her clothes fashionable and expensive, but that smile she wore had an underlining deviousness too it, or was I just imagining it?
"I did, we've already wrapped up shooting, and I think I deserve a bit of a brake, don't you?" asked Tess, her smile genuine, and I let out a breath that I hadn't realized I was holding. "And who's this? Is that Nate Greene!"
"Hey Tess," answered Nate as he frowned over Tess' shoulder after she threw herself into his arms and latched onto him. I glanced towards Brown and smiled when he rolled his eyes.
"Brown!" cried the energetic girl as she leaned away from Nate, not entirely letting go of him, I could feel my eyebrows frown as I watched the interaction, "why didn't you tell me that Nate was going to be here!"
"I didn't know if it would be a deal breaker or not," answered Brown with a shrug.
"It isn't, besides just knowing Mitchie was going to be here was enough to convince me," agreed Tess as she shot me a smile, was it just me or did it seem a bit frayed at the edges? Before I could analyze it further she reeled Nate in for another hard hug, "but it's certainly a nice surprise!"
"Alright Tess, so you'll be sharing a cabin with Caitlyn while you're here, I've had a cot set up," informed Brown before adding under his breath, "not that Caitlyn sleeps in her cabin." The last was muttered and although Nate and Tess didn't seem to hear him I did. I shot him a curious glance, but Brown simply shook his head.
"Why can't I share a room with Mitchie?" asked Tess with a pout.
"Well, ah," stammered Brown as he looked towards me for help. Brown never had learned how to handle Tess, even in innocent situations like this.
"My cabin is going through a bit of reconstruction, I've actually been sharing a cabin myself," I answered with a nonchalant shrug, I knew she wouldn't be satisfied with just that, but she would have to wait for any further explanation, hopefully when Nate wasn't in the vicinity.
"Alright fine, Nate, how about you help me with my bags?" politely asked Tess, her eyes fluttering and turned flirtatious, "after all, why waste such a big strong man when he's standing there all cute and ready to help." This was very typical Tess, even though I was used to her flirting to get what she wanted, I had never approved of such activity- always being more shy myself- now was no exception.
"Yeah, okay, where are they?" asked Nate, not moved by Tess' behavior but unable to resist her request.
"They're just outside the office in the white Range Rover's trunk," said Tess as she held out the keys for Nate to take. Nate didn't need to be told twice before he rushed out of the Office not even increasing his speed, but as he passed by me he had a relieved look.
"Well, ah, if you ladies will excuse this old man, I've got some paperwork to file," said Brown as he too hurried from the room.
"Well, Mitchie it's just you and me now!" said Tess as she ran a hand through her long bangs, the collected woman I had grown used to seeing.
"Yeah," I agreed as I turned my full attention to Tess, "how come you didn't tell me you where coming to Camp Rock too?"
"I would have, babe, but Brown made it very clear that you were not to be told," said Tess as she tugged on the lapels of her fashionable jacket. I sighed, I had forgotten about Brown's attempt at a Camp Rock reunion, it hadn't seemed all that important lately.
"That sounds about right, he invited just about everyone from our old Camp Rock days, I think it's his idea of a surprise or a setup, I don't know I haven't asked him about it," I answered as I led the way to the porch of the Office where we both leaned against the railing watching Nate struggle with the mountains of luggage Tess had brought.
"That reminds me, I need to talk to you soon," she said, I gave her a meaningful look which she simply laughed off, "I mean when we have time to really sit down and catch up!"
"Alright, that sounds fine, but…" and I bit my lip, there was something decidedly off about Tess, especially the way she had been all over Nate in the office, "is everything alright?"
"Mitchie!" cried Tess her laughter strained, "now why wouldn't it be, you are talking to the Tess Tyler! Besides that, is it just me or has Nate gotten cuter?"
"If you say so," I said as I observed her. I saw quite a bit of Tess back in the city, in fact she insisted we met up at least once or twice a week, so I knew her well. Despite our rough beginnings she had become one of my best friends, and something was bugging her.
"Mitchie! Tess! I could use some help down here!" cried Nate from the maze of Tess' suitcases.
"Gosh Tess, what'd you pack for, an apocalypse?" I asked taking note of everything Tess had brought for her short stay.
"A girl never knows what she's going to need!" sang Tess as she skipped her way down the stairs and towards Nate.
"I can't believe I have to share a room with her," moaned Caitlyn as she rested her head in her hands later that day. I laughed at her immediate reaction; Tess had just left the lunch table, dragging Nate, Jason and Peggy with her in her own self appointed mission. I think there had been mention of moving something or another but I couldn't be certain, Tess always had something going on.
"She's not that bad, and even if she is, it's not like you don't sneak off to Jason and Shane's cabin every night anyways," I soothed and Caitlyn's shoulder's dropped.
"Yeah, that's right, I've still got Jason's cabin," Caitlyn seemed to visibly brighten at the prospect, before a frown marred her face again as she sullenly glared out the cafeteria's netted windows, "I don't like how much she's been flirting with Nate." I frowned, because I didn't like it either, but Nate had someone waiting for him back home, so it wasn't like either of us really stood a chance.
"Yeah I don't think her fiancé would like it much either," I agreed and Caitlyn choked on her own saliva.
"What?" exclaimed Caitlyn, her eyes wide alight with scandal.
"I mean she had a fiancé seven weeks ago, but they'd been going through a bit of a rough patch, so maybe she's just looking for a distraction," I was trying to reason this out as much to Caitlyn as I was to myself. It would be too bad if she and her fiancé did call it quits, I rather liked Harvey.
"That's no excuse to steal your man! Again!" cried Caitlyn, I could feel a burning blush lighting up my face as I looked around hoping beyond hope no one had overheard her. Was I really that obvious?
"Caitlyn!" I admonished, "I don't know what you're talking about no one is stealing any one! And Nate is not my man!"
"I'm sorry Mitch, but Tess just pushes my buttons! I know you say she's changed but she's yet to prove it to me! Next time I see her I'm going to give her a piece of my mind," promised Caitlyn, thankfully lowering her voice. Even then a blush seemed to have permanently stained my face, because it didn't seem close to cooling off. I was grateful when Caitlyn had decided to remain silent as she continued to noiselessly rage.
"Aw Cait, what'd you do to Mitchie! She looks like she's eaten a particularly spicy pepper," gently teased Jason as he dropped down next to Caitlyn, his hair and clothes damp with sweat, what in the world could Tess have made them do? The thought was an interesting one but didn't serve to distract me from my embarrassment for long.
"Yeah Cait, what'd you say to embarrass her so much?" asked Nate as he dropped down beside me, just as sweaty as Jason, and my face if possible turned redder. Caitlyn shot me an apologetic smile, I simply sunk deeper into my seat, putting as much distance between me and Nate as I could without being too obvious. Nate frowned and Jason grinned as they looked toward me expectantly.
"I'm afraid, fellas that you missed out, if you wanted to know you should have been here five minutes ago" said Caitlyn with a steady gaze that dared anyone to defy her. I couldn't prevent the small smile of pride when her stern look didn't waver even in the face of Jason's puppy dog eyes. I suppose I missed the secret smile she shot him that promised later at Tess' arrival, I should have expected as much.
"Why's everyone so tense?" asked Tess when she returned to the table a second later, Peggy only a few steps behind her.
"Apparently, you had to be there," said Nate, with that frown that promised he would figure it out.
"Well anyway, since we're all here, I've been meaning to ask, is there anyone that's willing to help me out with my lecture tomorrow?" Tess asked, an angelic innocence touching her face, it was too bad everyone knew it was a rouse.
"Sorry, can't, Brown already has me on set up duty," deadpanned Caitlyn as she locked her stanch amber eyes on Tess. Jason looked about ready to agree to help before Caitlyn elbowed him in the side.
"Sorry Tess, Caitlyn says I'm not allowed to, ow! Caitlyn!" cried Jason as he bent down to rub his shin. I blinked impressed, I hadn't even seen Caitlyn move, she sure was sneaky.
"I wish I could Tess, but I promised Shane and Ella I'd drive them to the city, apparently they both have meetings with their Record Companies and neither could get a hold of another driver or car," said Peggy with a look that said what-can-you-do?
"Come on Mitchie, please?" asked Tess, and my brain froze. A million and one thoughts raced through my brain but before I could grasp any useable train of thought it had already disappeared like sand through slotted fingers. I couldn't think of one possible excuse or lie to get out of this.
"Well, Tess I would but, I'm—I mean—I," I was tripping over my words worse than a newborn fawn did its feet and with each passing second Tess' smile was growing larger and more and more predatory.
"I promise you won't have to say a thing, just stand there and do what I tell you too," like a stalking mountain lion Tess went in for the kill. My mouth hung open, my lips moving but no sound left them, I had forgotten about the stage. Performing was one thing, but standing there and not singing? With a shuddering breathe I tried to regain some semblance of coherence, because at last I had come up with a viable excuse, stage fright.
"I—" I began as I looked up at the expectant faces in front of me and all I had to do to get out of this was to say no, but with like a horrifying out of body experience all I heard pass my lips was, "Alright… Tess I'll do it." There was something about submitting to the inevitable that just felt… awful.
"I'll help out too, Tess," said Nate, from beside me. My eyes snapped towards his surprised, Nate simply shrugged, "it's not like I have anything else going on, the whole Camp is going to Tess' lecture."
"Thanks guys!" cheered Tess with a maddening smile, as though she hadn't just sent Nate and me to our execution, "you're a real live saver!" The irony was stifling.
It was nighttime before Tess and I were finally able to find time away from the others in her and Caitlyn's cabin. Tess didn't appear nervous and if anything she seemed to be thrumming with well tuned excitement.
"What was it you needed to talk about? It's nothing terrible is it?" I asked, and I could feel fear grip my heart, the signs might have been positive but Tess' good moods were never reliable. She had once smiled when her co-producer had caught pneumonia and had to drop out of her first film leaving Tess to do all the work. She had made a joke at the time but she had been so stressed her hair had started to fall out; she said later it was like jumping in the deep end without knowing how to swim.
"Mitchie why does there always have to be something wrong!" laughed Tess as she waved off my concern, "in fact if anything it's the opposite of terrible, it's fantastic!"
"What do you mean?" I asked puzzled.
"I mean that the other day I received a phone call from Mr. Palmer, you remember him right? The president of my Mother's record company?" asked Tess, a grin nearly splitting her face. With dawning comprehension I forced out a rueful smile, sometimes I envied those with such connections.
"Congratulations Tess!" I said sincerely, "I didn't know you were trying to get back into the music industry!"
"No Mitchie, I'm not, you are!" cried Tess.
"Huh?" I elegantly asked, my eyebrows trying their hardest to meet in the middle as I looked up at Tess, "what do you mean?"
"Well, I mean I might of sent my Mother a copy of that old CD you had recorded forever ago, and she might have gotten the higher ups to give it a shot, anyway the president called me to get a hold of you!" Tess cried excitedly.
"But Tess, isn't that Label all the way in New York?" I asked my brain had yet to begin to wrap around what Tess was trying to tell me.
"Well yes, but Mitchie I don't think you understand," sighed Tess, as she ran a hand through her blonde hair, "they're going to give you a chance! You're going to be famous!"
"Tess, I hardly doubt I'm going to be famous, besides their only giving me a chance to see if I stand a chance," I stressed. I'd been trying for so long, applying to multiple Labels, and some had even given me a chance until a day or a week or a month later something came up and I just wasn't the right sound they were looking for or the world wasn't ready for my type of music or something else that always made me unsuitable. I'd received enough chances, what I wanted was for them to take a chance on me.
"Mitchie, don't you think you should at least try? Maybe no one in California is ready for you, but maybe someone in New York is," argued Tess a displeased frown sprouting along her lips at the fact I wasn't already jumping for joy or laying prostrate at her feet.
"But what if it isn't? What if I go all the way to New York, and they keep me around for a few months, but they drop me, because I'm not good enough?" and with a shudder I added, "what if I'm stranded in New York?" Tess actually laughed.
"I think a new place is just what you need, you've gotten about as much out of California as you're going to get," said Tess with a gentle smile as though she knew how much my heart clenched at the thought of moving so far away. "Even if it doesn't work out and you do give up on music as a career, New York might be just the place for you to find a new dream."
"Tess," I said interrupting because this was too much to take in and it was so much to think about, I just needed time, "I'll think about it alright?"
"As long as you when you think about it, consider New York a possible choice, Mother said the president was seriously impressed," pressed Tess and I smiled, because I didn't think I could ever think about New York as a possibility.
"Now Tess, how's Harvey?" I asked, desperate for a change in topic, anything to stop my heart from racing and calm the panicked adrenaline that was coursing through my veins.
"He's good, really good!" Tess smiled that heart melted smile that only the truly in love could pull off and I felt silly for being so worried when I saw Nate and Tess together, "we finally set a date too!" she giggled and my heart felt like it could beat regularly at least for the moment.
"Tess?" I croaked as I stared wide eyed at her, it was hard to breath and I was sure my heart had been replaced with a formula one engine roaring at full speed.
"Come on Mitchie, how else do you suppose you will inspire these young Campers to create a score to audibly illustrate this occurrence in movies?" Tess looked so innocent, but I had to wonder what Caitlyn had said to the woman to spark such an evil streak.
The exercise Tess was having the Camper's go through had seemed simple at first. Have Nate and me act out a wordless scene and have the Camper's, arranged into a group, make up music that would fit into the background and match the presumed mood of each scene. But this was a step too far, shouldn't Brown be stopping this?
I glanced around the clearing, hoping to spot Brown, on his way to the stage to stop this ridiculousness. I spotted him easily, he was at the very back of the crowd standing next to Caitlyn and Jason and all three looked like the cat had caught the canary. It didn't look like I'd be getting any help from that sector.
With difficulty I raked my eyes back to meet Nate's. His face was perfectly controlled even with his hands clenched, his jaw tight and his eyes locked on mine, wide and filled with horror.
I was going to have to kiss Nate Greene but shortly after I was going to kill Tess Tyler.
A/N: Sorry it took so long for an update, it is sort of hard to write a summery story when you live in a Winter Wonderland. This is still pretty raw, I usually go over each chapter like four times before I update, but I figured I left you all waiting long enough so this only went through three edits. Anyway I hope you enjoyed!