The next few chapters will just be Mitchie hanging out with Caitlyn and her friends. Who knows, maybe a little Smitchie might happen as well, if they ever make up. I'm trying to make this story reach at least twenty chapters, so that's why I'm writing some pointless ones. But I'm also trying to put in a little romance, if you guys are interested.

Until You're Mine

Chapter Fourteen

A week later, people have been avoiding me. Everyone except Caitlyn, Nate and Jason, at least. Even Shane's been avoiding me! But I wouldn't blame him, considering that I was avoiding him, too. And I don't think he'd want to talk to me anyway, since I just walked away like that. It was the best thing to do. I needed to face my fears alone, I had to protect my loved ones, even if they wanted to help me, I wouldn't let them. Tess has really done it. I stood up to her once, I guess I'll have to stand up to her again sooner or later. Her evil eyes pictured my mind. I'm choosing later. At Final Jam, perhaps? I don't want to embarrass her, I just want to show her what she's been doing to everyone. I guess she didn't learn her lesson when Ella and Peggy stood up to her, too.

"Mitchie!" Caitlyn snapped. Was I daydreaming? "Are you listening to me?!" Whoops, I was daydreaming. Not really daydreaming, but, just thinking about my problems.

"Yes?" I lied, though you could fully tell by the tone of my voice. She shot me a glare. "No, I wasn't. Sorry. I have a lot of things on my mind right now."

"Again?"

"Don't you know me by now?"

"I guess I do." There was a short silence, until Caitlyn decided to speak again, "Since you weren't listening, I'll just have to repeat myself. What should we wear for Final Jam? I was thinking something like rocker chic, something like I wore last year. But I'm not sure if you'd want to wear that, though."

"Yeah, you're right. Um, I was just planning to wear jeans and an off shoulder blouse. You know the one, right?"

"Yup. Wait, aren't you talking about the tube top?"

"No! I don't even own a tube top! I meant the shirt that only covers one shoulder."

"Ohh! Now I see."

"Yes, yes you do."

"Okay, now that clothes are over with, next up, hair." Caitlyn marked something off her paper in her hands. A Final Jam checklist that she'd made only this morning. See, it's a Saturday, which means we're exactly a week away from Final Jam. Caitlyn likes to be organized, so she'll be most likely checking everything everyday this week.

"I'm just keeping my hair like this," I pointed to how straight my hair was. The only time I would use heat on my hair is for special occasions. Does Final Jam fit under that category? Either way, I just like my hair the way it is. I'm not trying to impress any boys there. All I'm trying to impress are talent scouts, and I don't think my hair counts. If it does, I don't really care. I just want to be me. I am what I am.

"Are you sure, hon?" She looked at me as if she just insulted my hair.

"Positive," I sighed. "I'm not pretty, anyway." I didn't feel comfortable about my appearance, so I tried to change it once, but it was a total fail! I haven't tried to change myself ever again. I'm self-conscious.

"Shane thinks so," Caitlyn cracked a smile.

I couldn't help but to smile back. "You think?"

"No, I know."

"Anyway, what about you?" I asked stupidly. There was no other way Caitlyn would wear her hair, either. It was already in perfect spirals. But maybe she'd like to straighten it for once.

"I'm planning to straighten my hair and then just curl it into waves." Well, that's a first. "My curls are too tight. So, hair, check." She marked off 'hair' on her paper. "Make-up?"

"Something simple, like blush and a light eye shadow," I recommended.

"Oh, and maybe just a little bit of eyeliner!" Caitlyn added.

"Whoops, don't forget the lip gloss, or lip stick," I reminded.

"Totally." She marked off 'make-up' on her paper. "I think that's the end of the list—wait, shoes!"

"My boots?"

"Not comfortable in heels?"

"Not at all."

"And you?"

"Flats."

"So that's the end of the list?"

"Seems like it." Caitlyn crumpled up the paper and aimed for the garbage. It landed swiftly in. I could tell she's into basketball, or it's just that throwing paper into the garbage is that easy.

"Now what? It's a Saturday, and we have nothing to do," I complained. I had nothing to do; Caitlyn could have made a date with Nate that I didn't know about.

"Want to go canoeing?" She suggested. Shane took me canoeing on our date... Sigh.

"Sure, why not," I approved. I had nothing better to do anyway. "Oh, by the way, did you guys finish the song?" I'd forgotten to ask her that last week.

"Yup." She confirmed. "It's incredible. I can't wait for you to hear it next week."

"What, Connect Three can't do a private performance for me?" I joked. She nodded playfully. I rolled my eyes and stood up from my position. I darted for the door, Caitlyn confused. "Um, canoeing?"

"Right," Caitlyn said. "I knew that!" She followed me out the door and to the lake. Some campers were swimming, but there were some that were canoeing, also.

"Cait, Mitchie!" I heard a too familiar voice call.

"Nate!" Caitlyn shouted back, as if she'd never seen him in years. They were together just this morning. She headed for Nate as I followed swiftly behind. I wouldn't have done that if I hadn't noticed Shane with him.

"Mitchie," Shane smiled apologetically. Shouldn't I be the one to apologize? Just walking away like that? "Hi."

"Hi," I greeted back shyly. I hadn't been this close to him since that day Tess ruined my life. Again. I tried to hide behind Caitlyn, but it didn't work. "Where's Jason?"

"With Ella." Nate shrugged.

"Are you guys going canoeing?" Caitlyn asked, pointing to the lifejackets they were wearing. It was either that, or they'd just finished. I hoped it was the second one.

"Yeah," Nate answered. "Are you guys?"

"Yup," She replied. Oh, no. They're gonna ask us to go canoeing with them, aren't they? That's why I was hoping their answer was the second one, so I wouldn't have to face Shane. Again. My life, all of a sudden, is feeling like déjà vu. Does everything have to happen twice in my life?! It is bad enough it happened once.

"Hey, what if we—?" Nate began. I knew what the question was. So did Caitlyn.

"Sure, that'd be great." Caitlyn smiled big.

Shane smiled again, while I tried to force a good enough smile. He unhooked two lifejackets at the dock and handed one to Caitlyn and I. We struggled to put them on; they were several sizes smaller than the ones we usually wear. But at least we could still breathe.

The boys led us to the dock, and got in one of the free canoes available. I sat beside Shane on one side, while Caitlyn sat with Nate on the other. Since there were only two oars, we let the boys paddle into the middle of the lake. Canoeing was good if you needed a place to talk alone with a person. Kind of like when I talked to Shane in a canoe? Memories. I missed him, but I didn't want to bring him into this. Me with Tess and all.

Once we got in the middle, the boys stopped paddling.

"Nice day today," Shane mumbled so only I could hear. What's with this low-key conversation? We can never have a real conversation anymore.

"Yeah.." My voice trailed off carelessly. "So, how's the Final Jam song?" I already knew about that, I just needed a topic of conversation. I'm trying to save our friendship here! But I think I broke it anyway.

"Finished," He smiled proudly. "Thanks to Caitlyn." A few moments later he added, "And you."

"How so?"

"You helped with the ideas and some of the lyrics."

"I can't wait to hear it," I avoided eye contact. I stared at my intertwined fingers the whole time. But Shane was trying to get eye contact. He'd been staring at me for the whole time. Or my hair. My hair has been covering my face and going wild in the wind.

"Neither can I," His voice was almost inaudible, I could feel his eyes come off me for the first time since a minute ago. He was feeling as uncomfortable as I did. Why does this have to be so hard? I wish I never decided to come back here, so I wouldn't have fallen in love with him. Maybe I shouldn't have come here in the first place! I wouldn't have met him or any of my friends here anyway. Okay, so maybe I should stop looking into the worst case scenario. Shouldn't I be looking on the bright side? What bright side?! It's me against the world. Apparently, that world is Tess Tyler. And I could never defeat her. "I mean, for you to hear it."

A short silence followed between us. All we could hear were Caitlyn and Nate's voices having their own little conversation. I looked out onto the lake; I could see other canoes with other campers in them. They didn't stop in the middle like we do; they actually canoe as a hobby. We just do it when we're either bored, or just want to talk. In this case, I was only bored. I don't do much on the weekends anymore. Just working on some new songs about my dreadful life. Now that's my hobby. What's yours?

"How's your song coming along?" He laid his eyes on me again, I could feel it. I shook my head ever so lightly, so he wouldn't notice I was letting my hair fall over my face. He'd just think it was the wind.

"It's finished as well," I muttered.

"What's it about?"

"Girl stuff."

"Must be boring, then."

"Not really," I sighed. "It is boring." I didn't mind his sarcastic remark. I like to take those opportunities for a chance to tell them the truth about the topics they're being sarcastic about.

"I was kidding."

Pfft, I knew that. But I wasn't.

"Whatever," I sighed again.

"Mitchie, what's going on?" He asked out of the blue. The volume of his voice got louder, but the other two didn't seem to hear. They were in their own little paradise. I wish I had somewhere to get away to. I sure would need it.

"Nothing," I lied, the wind blowing my hair more to my face. This was one of the only times I've been grateful to wind. Most of which are hiding my face with my hair when I didn't want to show it.

"No, seriously," His voice became stern as he put a hand over one of mine. I tired to pull away, but his hold was too strong. Or was I just too weak to even try? Maybe I liked his hand there. "Just tell me, Mitchie. You know you can tell me just about anything. But when it comes to girl problems, you know Caitlyn's always there."

I just ignored him and tried to hold back the tears that suddenly welled up in my eyes. I couldn't take this anymore. I wanted to go back to shore. There's no way I was going to talk about this with him. My life was getting more miserable by the second. I wanted to yell, but I just feared my voice would break, indicating I was about to cry.

I pursed my lips together, trying my best not to let the tears flow down to my cheeks. This was just too much.