Disclaimer: See chapter 1
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Chapter 28
On the Grapevine
"You're going to do WHAT!"
"I'm going to put a rumour on the camp grapevine to try and find the girl with the voice." Shane leant back against the door frame, watching with amusement as the normally calm and collected Nate Howard actually freaked out.
Nate fell backwards onto the bed behind him, looking at Shane in horror. "Have you completely lost your mind?"
"What on earth gave you that idea?" Jason asked from where he was sitting at the window.
"Your evil little sister, if you must know." The look in Shane's eyes though was contrary to how his voice sounded.
"Mitchie!" Jason replied, "My Mitchie!"
"She is the only sister that you have, Jase." Nate threw back at him
"The only one I know of." Jason mumbled under his breath as he turned to look out of the window again, only to grin as he saw who was coming towards the cabin.
Both Shane and Nate looked at him following that remark but wisely chose not to ask what he meant.
"She does realise what that's going to mean for all three of us?" Nate continued, almost hyperventilating. "They'll assume all three of us will know what this mystery girl sounds like and…"
He shuddered even at the thought of it. "We won't get a moment's peace."
"But it will be entertaining," Mitchie suddenly said from the doorway where she now stood slightly behind Shane with Caitlyn.
"Oh yeah very entertaining… for you," Nate shot back sarcastically.
"Yes I know that's why I suggested it to Shane." Mitchie returned poking the youth in question's side and smiling up at him. A smile Shane was swift to return.
"So how exactly are you going to use the C.G?" Caitlyn queried as she entered the cabin and sat down next to Nate. She also absently picked up a cushion and hit the curly-haired guitarist next to her. "And stop being such a drama queen, Howard."
"It's not your life that is about to be ruined by girls singing at you for days and hours on end, Gellar." He shot back, snatching the pillow from her.
Mitchie moved to stand between Shane and Jason, actually using her brother's shoulder for support. He wrapped his arm around her waist as she leant her arm on his shoulder.
"Is it me or would you call that flirting?" She asked them quietly, making sure that only they could hear her.
"Definitely flirting," Shane agreed, growing even more amused as Nate and Caitlyn continued to argue. It was almost as if they had forgotten that the others were in the room.
"Jake, can you still…" Mitchie broke off, looking down at her brother mischievously and he smiled back at her, his own look equally mischievous.
"Of course, I can. You two better block your ears." Jason replied as he released her.
Shane sent Mitchie a curious look and she grinned at him. "Just cover your ears, Shane, you'll find out soon enough."
As soon as he was sure that both Shane and Mitchie had their ears covered, Jason released his sister and put two fingers in his mouth and whistled. A whistle that shocked the arguing pair into silence, while even with their ears covered, Shane and Mitchie jumped at just how loud it was.
"Now that we have your attention…" Jason promptly murmured with a pleased look at their reaction. "Shane, just how are you going to start this rumour?"
"Now that I wish I knew." Shane slipped down the wall so that he was sitting on the floor. "It's one thing to listen to rumours but how do you start one!"
Mitchie sat down next to him, leaning against Jason's legs. "I have to say, your guess is good as mine."
Caitlyn however (once she had got over glaring at both Jason and Nate) suddenly sat up straight, "The boys!"
Mitchie immediately leant forward, her own eyes brightening as she caught on to what Caitlyn meant, "No, not all of them, Andy."
"You may have something there." Shane murmured nodding as he looked from one girl to the other, eyes perhaps lingering on the brunette a little longer.
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"Why did I do this again!?" Shane groaned burying his head in his hands.
"You're the one that listened to Mitchie." Nate took great delight in reminding him as he removed his I-pod ear-buds. He had taken to wearing them over the last two days, ever since the rumour had begun circulating. "You are so gone, Shane."
"Shut up!"
A door behind them creaked and Jason poked his head through the gap, a worried and amused look in his dark eyes. "Is it safe to come out yet?"
"They've gone for the moment, Jase." Nate threw back, "The girls too, although I would like to know what you two are doing hiding back therewith Jason?"
"It's not so entertaining anymore." Mitchie sighed as she sat down next to Shane. "I hadn't realised just how Machiavellian and persistent some of the girls would be." She leant into his shoulder and looked up at him through her bangs. "I am so sorry, Shane."
"It's not your fault, Mitch." He replied as he gently pressed against her shoulder with his own, smiling that particular smile he seemed to keep for her alone. "I knew what I was letting myself in for when I started it."
"I hadn't realised we had that many girls in camp desperate to sing to or should that be, at Shane Gray." Caitlyn sat down on the floor, crossing her legs. "What I am really surprised about is the lack of production from Tess."
Shane shuddered, making them all laugh. "Well I can safely say she is not the girl with the voice so she needn't bother."
"So what are you going to do," Jason asked as he sat down on the floor next to Mitchie and leant against her legs, "Because like Mitch said, it's not entertaining anymore, especially for her and Caitlyn, let alone us."
"And just what do you mean by that?" Shane looked down at Jason and then back to Mitchie, only to find her blushing slightly, "Mitchie?"
Mitchie shook her head, refusing to answer and Shane looked over to her best friend, "Caitlyn?"
Caitlyn sighed. "Somehow, they've managed to work out that we're friends with you three. We're getting as little peace as you and not just because of the girl with the voice thing."
All three members of Connect 3 looked at them horrified, Shane actually wrapping an arm around Mitchie who unconsciously leant into him as if she had been doing it all her life.
She looked up at him, even as she put a hand on her brother's head in silent reassurance. "We're not blaming you, Shane, Nate nor Jason either; we all should have remembered the fan girl mentality."
"I could always make an announcement at Beach Jam I suppose." Shane replied, looking thoughtfully at Mitchie for a moment.
"No way!" Nate exclaimed in horror. "There is no way you are going to do something like that on the same day we try a new number out."
"Then we just have to live with it." Jason said simply, "There's no way the worms can be put back the can now they've been let out."
"That's cat in the bag, Jake." Mitchie corrected her brother as the others groaned around her. "How you always manage to slaughter proverbs and still write decent lyrics is beyond me."
"Talent."
They couldn't help themselves; they all broke down in laughter and the question was shelved.
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Well here you go, the next chapter and growing closer to Beach Jam
I hope you all know what C.G now stands for.
Well, I managed to slip in some Smitchie there and even a little Naitlyn (although the jury is still out there on that pairing. I could lean to Jaitlyn!!!!)
As always looking forward to seeing what you have to say
