Disclaimer: See chapter 1

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Chapter 19

Enter the Storm

"Tell me something..." Mitchie turned from the pile of clothing on her bed she had been going through to look at a bizarrely behaving Caitlyn. "Cait are you listening?"

"Tell you what?" Caitlyn responded in a muffled voice (she had just dived under her bed), clothes being thrown up in the air behind her, clearly searching for something.

"Why do I have to wear pyjamas for Pyjama Jam if I'm not actually performing?"

"Mitchie!" Caitlyn actually whined although it was still muffled, making Mitchie smile slightly even though it never reached her eyes. "I'm looking for my fingerless gloves and you chose now to ask me about Camp Rock traditions."

"Yes and your gloves are under your pillow... where you put them this morning so you wouldn't lose them." The slight sarcastic note in Mitchie's voice had a dark undertone that had Caitlyn immediately stopping her frantic search.

Pulling back slowly from underneath her bed, Caitlyn rose to her knees and leant on her bed to look at her friend with cautious worry. Mitchie had moved to stand next to the windows, eyes fastened on the formerly blue sky watching it darkening swiftly as storm clouds built up over the mountains.

She was pale and just for a moment; Caitlyn could swear she was actually shaking.

This was not the Mitchie Torres that had walked into the kitchen the previous day, walking and laughing with Shane Gray – Shane pop star Gray- of all people. (Caitlyn feared for Mitchie's health and safety if Tess Tyler ever discovered the friendship!) It also had to be said that Caitlyn was still slightly shocked by just how different the pop star was, especially when talking to Mitchie.

She had actually narrowed her gaze at one point as she realised that he was almost half-way in love with her friend. He was most definitely 'in like' with her, that she was certain of.

She quickly brought her thoughts back on track as a distant rumble of thunder had Mitchie jump, colour fading completely. She also rubbed her forehead, a pained look crossing her face.

Caitlyn jumped to her feet. "Mitch, I left something in the kitchen, will you be alright on your own?"

"I'm sixteen, Cait, not six." Mitchie shot back. "I'll go back to finding something to for Pyjama Jam as you're being so insistent."

"Just don't wear green," Caitlyn called back over her shoulder. "Ten will give you thirty Tess and her clones will be because it's supposed to be your brand new friend's favourite colour."

"Hearing that!"

Caitlyn sped across the the mess hall and burst through the door. "Connie!"

Connie turned round. "Caitlyn, I thought you would be preparing for Pyjama Jam."

The teenager caught her breath. "Why is Mitchie afraid of storms?"

"Storms?" Connie actually looked taken aback. "Why do...?"

An even louder rumble of thunder sounded and Connie went almost as pale as her foster daughter. She turned to the man she had been talking to when Caitlyn burst in. "Steve..."

"I know." Steve Torres turned to the now slightly panicking Caitlyn. "You know about Mitchie's amnesia and the accident." Caitlyn nodded. "The night it happened, there was a massive storm front covering the entire Dallas area."

"Oh he...ck," Caitlyn turned back to Connie again. "Mitchie's starting another headache."

Before she could reply, Brown entered the kitchen. "You have no idea how glad I am you made it, Steve." He reached out and shook his friend's hand. "Nate and Jason just made it as well. I just left them with Shane getting ready for Pyjama Jam."

"Then it looks like it could be tonight." Steve put his arm around his wife. "Tonight we may just find out who Mitchie is."

"Oh dear lord, Mitchie's waiting for me." Caitlyn gasped and started for the door.

"Make her take something." Connie called after her before burying her head against her husband.

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Shane sat writing more of the second song he had been working on, foot tapping to the rhythm he could hear in his head. It had come to him while talking to Mitchie and Caitlyn the previous day (once Caitlyn had got over her shock at him being in the kitchen at all.)

He had caught her looking at him strangely at one point, a very peculiar look crossing her face. Briefly he wondered what it was she had seen but he had been distracted by a sudden burst of giggles from the two girls.

The sudden sound of footsteps following a car door closing had him swiftly moving his guitar to the other side of his bed. Moving to the door, he watched his two closest friends almost sprint to the cabin; Jason throwing the sky worried looks.

Shane promptly looked up himself. "What the..."

He had been so lost in the music he had been writing, he hadn't even noticed the storm front moving in. Before he could even consider it, Nate and Jason burst into the cabin, the latter dropping his bags (although Shane grinned as Jason gently put his guitar case down) before grabbing hold of Shane and Nate, "Group hug."

Jason actually sighed happily while still holding them. "I've missed this."

"Jase, air, need to breathe" Shane pulled gently away smiling internally at the disgusted look on Nate's face. He wasn't as fond of group hugs as Jason was. "Jason, Nate, good to see you."

"Shane." Nate put his own bags down (perhaps one of the reasons why he had not liked this particular hug), "Looks like we made it just in time."

"I hadn't even seen it come in." Shane admitted honestly as he turned to look back out at the storm. Jason moved to his side, scowling a bit. "Jason, what's wrong?"

"I don't know." Jason shook his head. "I just have the strangest of feelings."

"And he's been saying that since yesterday." Nate literally groused as he dropped onto one of the spare beds. "He's gone all mystic on me."

Before Jason could respond, Brown appeared in the doorway. "Hey there boys, glad to see you made it. You better start getting ready for Pyjama Jam. I'm going over to the kitchen to see if the last of the weekend's guests have arrived."

He turned and then put his head back in the doorway. "And you might just want to make sure you've got all your things inside Shane, this storm looks like it's going to be a big one..."

He cast a quick look at Jason, a look neither Shane nor Nate missed before disappearing.

The two youngest members of Connect 3 looked at each other, Nate sitting up as Shane joined him. "You don't think..." The curly haired guitarist asked in a low voice.

"It's one of the reasons I wanted you here." Shane replied in the same tone. "Apparently so do the adults, if not for the reason we know about."

"I hope they're right, Shane or this could hurt him."

"Even more than he already is or has been," Shane moved to Jason's side, watching the storm clouds.

'And Mitchie come to that.' But that thought he kept to himself.

Silence fell over the three of them, broken only by the thunder and Jason suddenly saying.

"She hates storms."

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Well here we go, not only do we have Smitchie kind of, but also Jason and Nate.

And the scene is set, the players are in place and the atmosphere is being charged (literally in this case with the storm coming in!!!)

Look forward to hearng what you all have to say.