A/N: I owe a big a thanks to LaPaige for this chapter! A couple months ago she gave me this idea and I held on to it until I could work it in. I don't even know if she remembers it, but it's here now! So thank you, thank you, thank you Paige! :D

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters or places you recognize from Camp Rock. Their characters may be tweaked a bit, but hopefully not too much. I don't own any songs used during any chapters throughout this fic. The title and artist will be listed at the end of any chapter including a song.

Shane was walking on his way back from dinner when he saw Alicia and one of her friends heading towards him up the path. In panic mode he hid before they could spot him. He did not want to see her again. She'd already cornered him that morning, forcing conversation on him and then she was in his last class too so he'd had to deal with her there. It wasn't fun, especially since he was still hung up on his talk with Jason earlier. He couldn't handle another encounter with her today.

"He's definitely coming around," he distantly heard Alicia say to her friend. "We talked twice today. And he was totally being friendly with me."

Shane laughed in his head. He knew she was talking about him. And if she considered his treatment friendly he wondered what it would take for her to consider him not interested.

"Excellent," her friend replied. "So it's only a matter of time until he asks you out."

"Right," Alicia smiled.

"And then you'll find a rich celebrity boyfriend for me and the others too right?"

"Eventually," she nodded. "I mean, I have to play it cool for a while you know? I can't let Shane think I'm like Mitchie." They shared a laugh and Shane's blood boiled. Mitchie was twenty times better than she was. "Like Mitchie could ever even pull off something like this. She doesn't have what it takes."

"I know!" her friend laughed. "She couldn't even make it a whole summer!"

"Hey, maybe once me and Shane are dating I can get you with Nate right away. Then we can work together for the rest of them."

"I'd rather have Shane," she wrinkled her nose.

"Well too bad. Jason's got that stupid Caitlyn and I wasn't making progress with Nate. So Shane's mine. Just take Nate for now and you can meet someone else later."

"Fine," her friend sighed. "He's not that bad anyway. Just could be better."

Shane was furious. Who the hell did these girls think they were? Him and his friends were not pawns to use in somebody's game. He was just contemplating going out there and facing them when someone beat him to it.

"Tell me I didn't seriously just hear what I thought I did."

Shane froze, wide-eyed as Mitchie emerged from who knows where and glared at the two girls. He was excited. Was this finally going to be the proof he'd been waiting for? The proof Jason thought he wouldn't get?

"Oh what's wrong Mitchie?" Alicia laughed. "Afraid Shane's interested in me not you?"

"Are you kidding me?" Mitchie laughed back humorlessly. "You think Shane's interested in you?" She laughed harder now – very over-dramatically – and Shane smirked at her from his hiding place. "Oh that's priceless. You think he's interested in someone who's just using him for his money and fame."

"Just because it didn't work for you doesn't mean it won't for me."

"You're right. It didn't work for me," she nodded. Shane's heart sank. So she was using him. And now she was using Jason and Nate too. He had been right all along. "It didn't work because I wasn't trying to use him," Mitchie continued on. "You very obviously are. And he knows it too."

Shane's mood picked right back up in that instant. Okay, so she wasn't using him. He just hoped she didn't say something to negate the end of her sentence again. He wasn't sure he could handle that feeling for a third time – even if the second was a very brief experience.

"Oh please. You're just jealous that my plan's working and yours isn't."

Mitchie glared at her. "Alright Alicia listen. I might have been nice to you for Jason's sake, but I don't like you. And I can officially tell you Jason will want nothing to do with you anymore. Neither will Shane or Nate, not that they did anyway, but just back off."

"Because your threat will stop me," she scoffed. Her friend stood beside her silently, trying and failing to look menacing.

"I'm not threatening you," Mitchie said simply. "I'm just telling you that those boys aren't idiots. Well, maybe Shane is, but he's coming around. And you're really just wasting your time." Shane glared at the insult from his hiding spot. "Do you know why you didn't make progress with Nate? Because I do. He saw how you were with Jason and then when you tried to get with him you were a completely different person. He's not an idiot. Jason might be too trusting, but Nate's not. Him and Shane are very careful with who they let in. And you won't be let in."

"If they let you in they'll let me in," Alicia said confidently. Shane had to hold in another laugh. This girl was crazy if she believed that.

Mitchie shook her head again. "No, they won't. It took a lot of explaining of myself for Jason and Nate before they even considered being friends with me. Well, not Jason, but Nate definitely. And Shane still isn't even fully back on track with me. After my mistake Shane won't trust anyone easily. And after I tell them what I just overheard he won't trust you ever."

"You wouldn't dare tell them," Alicia narrowed her eyes.

"Are you kidding me?" Mitchie laughed. "You think I wouldn't tell some of my best friends about your plan to use them? You have a better sense of humor then I thought you did."

This time Shane couldn't help the quiet chuckle that escaped him as Mitchie shook her head and walked away from the two glaring girls. He had a sudden urge to go running through the camp hollering and screaming in joy. Mitchie did it! She proved herself! He finally had the proof he'd been waiting for! She didn't even know he was watching and she told Alicia off for trying to use him. She really was a good person, just like every one tried to tell him. And even better, he was finally comfortable with admitting he liked her now that he knew he could trust her. This day just went from weird and bad to great.

As soon as all three girls were gone from sight Shane burst out of his hiding spot and went running off to find Nate and Jason. They were the first people he wanted to tell of his new revelation. Luckily for him Jason and Nate were in the first place he looked – their cabin, changing in to warmer clothes for the night. He burst through the door with a giant grin on his face as he spotted both boys.

"What happened?" Nate asked wearily. This was very unusual behavior for Shane. He hadn't seen him this excited in at least a year.

"She did it!" Shane exclaimed. Nate thought he looked like he was only just restraining himself from throwing a fist in the air in victory. Correction to his last thoughts, he hadn't seen Shane this excited since they were first signed to their record label.

"Who did it?" Jason asked. "And what's it?"

"Mitchie!" Shane laughed. "She did it."

Jason grinned and Nate shook his head. "I'm not following. What did Mitchie do?"

Shane sighed impatiently. How hard was it for him to keep up? He'd understand if it were Jason a bit behind, but Jason's smile made him think he got it. And here was Nate asking questions. Idiot.

"I trust her," he laughed. "She proved it. She's not using me or you!"

"We've been telling you that," Nate rolled his eyes.

"I know, but now I've got proof straight from her! There's nothing to doubt."

"Well, congratulations then," Nate said offering a smile, not sure the appropriate response. Jason on the other hand knew the exact response Shane was looking for.

"This is so awesome!" Jason shouted, running over to hug him. Shane happily accepted the hug; he was in too good a mood not to. "She's got to be so happy! She's been waiting for this! I'm glad she refused to give up on you. It finally paid off."

Shane laughed along with Jason before he realized what he said. "Oh! She doesn't know! I've got to tell her!"

"How could she not know? She just gave you proof," Nate asked.

"Well I over heard her defending us against Alicia," Shane explained. "She didn't even know I was there. She just jumped to defend the three of us."

"What'd Alicia say?" Jason asked as he frowned just the slightest bit. He might not have talked to her in a while, but he still thought they were friends.

"Oh, she's trying to use us to get her and her friends famous. That's not really important though. Mitchie did it!"

Before any one could respond Shane was out the door again, hunting down Mitchie this time.

Mitchie was sitting out on the docks thinking things over. How was she going to tell Jason about Alicia? She knew he at least thought of her as a friend still, and she didn't want to upset him by telling him what she heard. But she didn't really think there was a nicer way to go about this. She'd just have to tell him straight out. She got up with a sigh and slowly headed to the guys' cabin.

"Mitchie!" she heard when she was half way there. She looked up to see Shane booking towards her, smiling insanely. She sent him a smile and waved. "Hey Mitchie!"

"Hi Shane," she laughed, not used to seeing him this way, but enjoying his happiness.

He barely slowed down as he reached her and threw his arms around her. Her eyes widened as he picked her up and spun her around a bit. She was shocked. They'd never even hugged before the fight and now he was acting like… well, like Jason. He put her back down and held her arms length away, his hands firmly holding her shoulders.

"It's good to see ya Mitch." His smile was dazzling and she was getting excited with his behavior, but she was utterly confused.

"Um, good to see you too?" she said happily, but uncertainly. He laughed.

"I have something really important to tell you," he nodded, the smile never leaving his face.

"What?" she asked smiling widely back at him.

He pulled her in to another hug and – shocking her more – kissed her cheek before whispering in her ear. "I completely trust you."

"Why?" she blurted out when he released her. The wonder in her voice made him laugh again.

"And here I thought you'd be happy."

"Oh, I am," she nodded quickly, "but why?"

"I may have been hiding in the bushes from Alicia and so I may have over heard you guys talking," he explained.

"Oh," she blinked. "You heard that?"

"Yes! I was so happy!"

"You were happy Alicia wanted to use you?" Mitchie questioned, not quite understanding.

"No silly," he laughed. "I was happy you defended us. You didn't even know I was there.

"Oh."

"I'll never doubt you again," he smiled brightly.

Mitchie stood there soaking in his words for a minute. He trusted her. Not only did he trust her he was over the moon that he could. She couldn't believe it. She'd been waiting and waiting for this to happen. A part of her wanted to run around screaming in excitement because things were finally officially looking up for her in the Shane department. Then there was another part of her, a surprisingly big part, that told her not to just accept things like this and go on like nothing happened. She knew before that she had already forgiven him for everything, but she needed to at least hear him apologize. All she needed was one "I'm sorry" and she'd be okay. She knew she should apologize too, but she couldn't fully forgive him with out those two simple words.

"Shane," she began before pausing, not sure what to say.

"There's more!" he grinned, mistaking her lack of words as a result of excitement.

"Yes?" she asked, thinking she'd get what she wanted.

"I really like you Mitchie."

"You mean like… like like?"

"Yup," Shane nodded, proud of himself for telling her.

"Shane," she hesitated, "I can't."

His face fell in to a confused pout. "Can't what?"

She took a deep breath, trying to choose her words carefully. "I can't just pretend you weren't a really big jerk to me this summer."

"But I thought we were past that?" he asked with a full frown.

"Let's go talk this out," she sighed turning to walk back to the docks she'd just vacated. She was several steps away before she realised she couldn't hear Shane following behind her. She turned back to find him staring after her in a state of semi-shock. It was kind of amusing to her if she was going to be honest with herself. She imagined he thought she'd jump in his arms and profess her feelings for him and they'd have a silly little happily ever after. And she wanted to do that, but she needed to work things out now so it wouldn't all come back in their faces later.

"Come on Shane," she waved him along with an inviting smile. "It'll work out worth your while. Promise."

He blinked and nodded before finally following her down the path. When they reached the docks she sat with her legs over the edge and he sat facing her, his legs spread out between them on the dock and his hands on the ground behind him, supporting his weight. He cocked his head to the side.

"I thought we were over the fights," he repeated his earlier confusion.

"I thought we were too," she shrugged.

"Then what's the problem?"

"I don't know Shane," she sighed heavily. And then she realised she did know, so why wouldn't she just tell him? "Actually, I do know."

"Go on," he urged.

"You've been really mean to me. You've yelled at me and you've made me cry several times," she explained. "And even worse then that you would ignore me and pretend I didn't even exist. And I know you were angry with me and since you didn't let me explain myself you thought you had the perfect reason to be, but you didn't. And your friends tried to tell you that and you just blew them off. And it really hurt my feelings the way you acted."

"Mitchie I-"

"Wait," she interrupted. "I need to say all this so just let me finish please?" He nodded mutely and she went on. "I've been all prepared for this moment, because I knew you'd see the truth eventually, but now I'm not ready for it. I know we've been acting like friends lately and like nothing's been wrong at all, but we can't just pretend it never happened because it did happen. And I'm sorry that I lied and it resulted in something so messed up. I'm sorry your feelings got hurt because of my mistake too, but I know I was wrong and I regret it. But you not letting me explain and ignoring me is not something I can just forget. I called Jason crying because of you. It's one thing to be angry with me, but you just turned cruel."

"You done?" he asked quietly after she didn't speak for several moments.

"Yes," she nodded.

"I don't even know where to begin," he sighed, sitting up straight and running his hands over his face. He stopped and looked her in the eye as he started his response. "Let's start with I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to be cruel. You just made me so angry I couldn't help it." He sounded ashamed of himself. "I know I was being rude and mean, but it seemed there was no stopping it. I settled on ignoring you rather than being a jerk. Once someone got me going though I couldn't stop it. It's like the words just poured out; I'm not even sure what half of them were. I was so angry with you… so betrayed. And I felt bad when I knew you'd cry because of me, so I tried not to say things to make you cry. I might have been angry with you, but I didn't want to make you cry."

"Okay Shane," she said simply when he stopped for a moment.

"Okay?" he blinked. "I barely explained anything."

"It doesn't matter," she smiled. "All I needed was the sorry."

"I am sorry," he repeated sincerely.

"I know, I believe you," she said softly. "And I guess I've just got one more thing to tell you."

"What's that?"

"I really like you too, have the whole time."

She watched the grin grow on his face and was sure hers matched as he moved to sit beside her and grab her hand.

A/N: Smitchie! Wohoo! Right, well, that's two updates in three days. Fun stuff. There's still quite a few chapters to come, this story will last through the end of either Final Jam or camp itself, depending on how I see fit. But for now, there's a poll in my profile directly related to this fic and the Final Jam chapter. Please vote in it if you'd like to voice your opinion on what should happen. Thanks!