AN: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! I can't believe the amazing response I got to the last chapter. I love reading all of your comments, and you guys are awesome!
Special AN: Obsessed with Camp Rock, I love your happy dancing (smiles), but unless I'm mistaken (and I might be), Arya is the 200th reviewer. So I dedicate this chapter to Arya. To everyone else, I hope you understand (please don't hate me or stop reading and reviewing, OK?).
OK, one more thing, and then I promise I'll get started. I'm sure most of you (if not all) have heard the Jonas Brothers' new album (A Little Bit Longer) by now, so what's your favorite song(s) on there? Do you like it more than their last album, as much as their last album, or not as much as their last album? What exactly did you like about it? Do you think their musical style/preferences have changed, or that they're going for a more mature sound this time? And aren't you happy A Little Bit Longer's #1 on iTunes? The Jonas Brothers are awesome, amazing, and they just keep getting better and better. They're not just burning up the charts, they're burning up the summer! I love them soooo much! Call me obsessed, I don't care. They are my life, and I love them more and more every second.
But enough of my ranting about how much I love the Jonas Brothers and their songs. Here's the next chapter.
Disclaimer: I wish I owned Camp Rock. But I don't, just my own ideas.
Chapter 23 – Mitchie in the Middle (Part 2)
As soon as everyone had left the room, Peggy started talking.
"I know I'm not exactly the best person to talk to you about this, but I know how you feel, Sierra," Peggy said, as Sierra listened patiently. "I'm not dating a member of Connect 3, I'm constantly picked on and criticized by Tess, and my only other friend is Ella, who's currently obsessed with either making out with Jason or comparing the same 2 shades of lip gloss to see which one looks better on her."
"Wow," Sierra said. She had no idea there was someone else out there who felt like she did. "Now that you put it that way, I had no idea you were going through the same thing as I am."
"Yeah, I just try not to think about it like that," Peggy said encouragingly.
Sierra paused, then asked, "So, what do you do when you think your best friend is best friends with someone else?"
"In my case, I do my own thing," Peggy said. Then she quickly added, "Not that you should too. Mitchie and Caitlyn are way nicer than Tess and Ella, and they'll actually want to hang out with you. Why don't you give them a chance?"
"You know what? I think I will," Sierra said, feeling better already. "Thanks, Peggy."
"Any time," Peggy said. "That's what friends are for." Peggy smiled as Sierra smiled back.
Meanwhile…
"I can't believe you, how could you tell everyone I'm your second best friend?" Caitlyn said angrily.
"Whoa, Caitlyn, I never said you were my second best friend. I just said that Sierra was my best friend, and that you were my best friend from camp," Mitchie repeated.
"Exactly. From camp, not in everything else," Caitlyn said.
"Caitlyn," Mitchie sighed. "I didn't mean…" Mitchie paused, then added, "What if I told you that Sierra doesn't know most of the things we did at camp? Does that make you feel any better?"
"No," Caitlyn admitted. She thought for a moment, then said, "OK, maybe I'm blowing things way out of proportion, but I feel like you and Sierra have this whole other life that I don't know about, and now that camp's over, I don't have anyone. Except Nate, but I can't take him shopping, 'cuz he hates it, and I can't tell him about the latest gossip, 'cuz he doesn't care about who did what, and…"
"OK, I get it," Mitchie smiled, "You need a friend who's a girl to hang out with. What about me and Sierra?"
"I don't know, Sierra seems like she doesn't want me around, like I'm a third wheel or something," Caitlyn worried.
"Are you sure about that?" Mitchie knew better. "Hold on…" She went to find Sierra, and saw Peggy there.
"Sierra, do you have a minute?" Mitchie said.
"Yeah," Sierra answered. She glanced at Peggy. "Peggy, can you come too?"
Both Peggy and Mitchie looked surprised. "OK," Peggy said slowly. "But only if it's OK with Mitchie."
"Yeah, OK," Mitchie said, surprised that Sierra asked Peggy to come along. Usually, Sierra took a long time to make friends with people.
The girls went over to Caitlyn, and Caitlyn was as surprised to see them as Mitchie had been.
"Um, hi," Caitlyn said nervously.
"Hey Caitlyn," Mitchie said back.
"Yeah, hi," Peggy said, Sierra mumbled hi.
"OK, I just wanted to clear things up a little, since this is kinda awkward, but Caitlyn, Sierra and I have been best friends since practically forever. Not that you're my second best friend or anything, but there's no reason why we can't all be friends," Mitchie said.
"And Sierra, just because Caitlyn and Mitchie have music and boyfriends in the same band doesn't mean you should feel left out. Why don't you try being friends with Caitlyn?" Peggy added, urging Caitlyn to do something to make Sierra more welcome.
"I don't know, we've never really talked," Sierra said, just as Caitlyn was about to talk.
"Yeah, Sierra, I'd love to know more about you, what you like, what you don't like," Caitlyn said, being friendly. "Why don't you tell me all about yourself, and I'll tell you about myself too?"
Sierra looked to Mitchie for support, then, at Mitchie's nod, Sierra said, "OK, no offense or anything, but I think Shane's my favorite from Connect 3, not that Nate's not that good, he is, it's just I like Shane more…"
"Are you serious? How can you like Shane more than Nate?" Caitlyn was about to give Sierra an earful, then she noticed Mitchie shaking her head. "I mean, personally, I like Nate the best, but it's OK if you don't. What else do you like?"
Peggy and Mitchie left them to talk. "Thanks, Peggy," Mitchie said. "I didn't know Sierra felt like that."
"No problem," Peggy smiled. "Sometimes it's easier to talk to an outsider than it is to your friend."
"Yeah, and I think that's the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Mitchie said. They both laughed, knowing how corny that sounded.
"Hey, maybe we could hang out more too," Peggy suggested.
"What about Tess and Ella?" Mitchie said, a little suspicious. She wasn't sure if Peggy was trying to be nice, just so she could get dirt on them and tell Tess about it, or if she was really being nice because she wanted to be friends.
"I think they'll be OK without me," Peggy said. "Tess is way too obsessed with herself, making people do what she wants, and being little Miss Perfect, and Ella's too obsessed with lip gloss and Jason. I need friends I can talk to about anything, ones who'll listen, and give me advice, and who won't use what I've said against me."
"If you're sure," Mitchie said, knowing if Tess wanted Peggy to stop doing something, Peggy would probably do it. She decided to keep an eye on Peggy, just in case.
Just then, Brown came by. "Is it safe out here?"
Mitchie and Peggy laughed, as Brown looked confused. "It's OK, Brown."
"If you say so," Brown said, motioning behind him. "Come on out, guys,"
"Hello, beautiful," Shane grinned, coming from behind Brown. He looked down at Mitchie and kissed her.
"Um, could you not do that please?" Peggy asked, looking away.
"Why not?" Shane said, as Mitchie threw him a look to shut him up. Shane wrapped his arms around Mitchie and held her close.
"What's wrong, Peggy?" Mitchie wondered.
"It's just…" Peggy was about to say something, but she stopped. "It's nothing."
"Shane, aren't you hungry?" Mitchie asked, hoping food would distract him. It did.
"Thanks for reminding me," Shane said. "I'm starving." He walked off.
"Thanks," Peggy said. Then she continued. "It's this guy, Tess' back-up dancer. I really like him, but Tess thinks he's not good enough for me."
"Forget about Tess. Does he like you?" Mitchie asked, trying to be helpful.
"I don't know, I've never had enough courage to talk to him." Peggy admitted.
"You'll never know unless you try," Mitchie said, using advice from before.
"I guess not," Peggy said. "Thanks, Mitchie."
"Anytime," Mitchie smiled.
Meanwhile, with Caitlyn and Sierra…
"OMG, I can't believe you did that!" Caitlyn said, laughing.
"Yeah, it was pretty funny," Sierra giggled. "I just didn't know what to say to him, so that's what I did."
Just then, Nate came in. "Hey Caitlyn, Sierra, I hope I'm not interrupting anything,"
"No, not at all," Sierra said. She looked away as Nate started kissing Caitlyn.
"Wow," Caitlyn said, as soon as Nate broke off their kiss. Then she noticed Sierra. "Hey, Sierra, what's wrong?"
"Nothing," Sierra said, pretending like nothing had happened.
"Come on, I know that look. I've had that look. You need a guy, don't you?" Caitlyn pressed.
"Caitlyn," Nate said, knowing exactly how Sierra felt. He'd been in Sierra's position when he liked Caitlyn, and Shane and Jason were pressuring him to ask her out. "Would you excuse us, please?"
"Sierra, do you mind?" Caitlyn said, thinking Nate wanted to spend some time alone with her.
"No, that's not what I meant. What I meant was, Caitlyn, would you excuse us?" Nate reiterated.
"What?" Caitlyn couldn't believe it. But she couldn't say anything, because Nate was already pulling her toward the door. "Nate, what's going on?"
"Nothing, I promise," Nate said, glancing back at Sierra, who had no idea what Nate was about to do. "I'm going to set Sierra up on a date with someone, and I think I know who."
"Who?" Caitlyn demanded to know.
"You'll see," Nate smiled mysteriously.
AN: So, what'd you think? Let me know by reviewing! I'd really appreciate it. Do you have any guesses as to who Nate's going to set Sierra up with? I think you'll be surprised…