"He's where?!" Nate hissed in anger.

"Mitchie Torres'" his mom replied, shrugging into her coat.

"That's so like him," Jason said. "Barely broken up and already going and slutting another poor, defensless chick…"

"That's enough, young man," his father said. "I'm sure Shane wouldn't do something like that."

"You would think that," Nate muttered, pulling on his jacket. "Are we going to eat or what?"


"Wow, Mrs. Torres…I mean, Connie, this looks amazing," Shane said, looking at his heaping plate of spaghetti. It just smelled so…wonderful. And the sauce was thick and chunky with cut up tomatoes. He inhaled deeply and sighed.

"Thank you, Shane," Connie smiled. "I don't get enough of that around here." She cast a glance at her husband and daughter, who ducked their heads sheepishly.

"We're used to it," Steve said.

"Yeah, Mom, your food is always amazing," Mitchie supplied.

Connie laughed and shook her head. "Keep trying," she said. "And dig in!"

Shane picked up his fork, twirled some noodles onto his spoon, put it in his mouth…and nearly died of pleasure. The sauce was just…incredible, the noodles cooked to perfection. He ate slowly, savoring every bite.

Mitchie, on the other hand, was watching him in amusement, which Steve and Connie conversed together, ignoring the teens.

"Got enough happiness there, Shane?" Mitchie asked finally, arching an eyebrow.

"Huh?" He looked up, mouth full.

Mitchie giggled. "You might want to swallow there, popstar."

"Oh…sorry." Shane did as he was told and sighed. "Sorry. It's just…" He shook his head. "It's the best spaghetti I've ever tasted."

Mitchie smiled. "Well, we all know that."

He smiled back. "Thanks for letting me stay over," he said in a quieter voice. "I really don't think I could have stood going back to the hotel. My family's been a bit…overbearing."

"What?" Mitchie asked, swirling her own fork around her food. "Too many interviews, photo shoots in the city?"

"I wish," Shane snorted. "It'd give them less time to get on my back about the Tess thing." He took another bite of food and sighed.

Mitchie's food, however, had frozen half-way to her mouth. "What?" she repeated, aghast. "You mean…they don't believe you? Or they don't like the whole publicity?" The last part of her speech sounded more like she was trying to reassure herself.

"First part, correct," Shane muttered. "They all met Tess and thought, and here I quote…" His voice went to a higher pitch. 'She's such a little darling! What a cutie, Shane, and sweet too! How lucky are you, dude?'"

Mitchie giggled, despite herself. Shane looked dejected.

"It's not funny," he sighed. "They've done nothing but get mad at me every chance they get. They all liked Tess! Imagine that! Someone actually liking Tess…" he sighed again. "Other than me, of course, but she asked me out. I'm a gentleman, I couldn't think of a nice way to say no…"

"And then you guys got closer and…" Mitchie spoke kindly, but her heart was in pain.

"Basically," Shane muttered. "Bada bing."

--

A little while later, Mitchie and Shane sat on the couch, flipping through channels in an attempt to digest their food. . Shane couldn't go to the hotel yet; it was storming badly outside, and he didn't mind waiting. No one argued with him.

"And now," a new reporter said. Mitchie had paused their and they both realized, with a groan, it was another Shess story. "More info on the Tess Tyler Shane Gray drama."

"Oh, here we go," Shane sighed.

"Want me to change it?" Mitchie offered.

"Nah. I need the information for another press swarm..whenever that may be."

And so they watched.

'Tess Tyler has once again released information on her tragic break-up with pop-star Shane Gray…"

"It's rock-star," Shane mumbled, but his heart wasn't in it.

It was another clip of Tess.

"I'm still trying to reach him," she said sadly. "He just…refuses to answer the phone. I think he's having an affair with another woman."

"WHAT?!" Shane shouted, sitting bolt upright.

A reporter asked "Who do you think it could be?"

Tess shook her head sadly. "Anybody…It could even be Miley Stewart."

"But isn't she a bit young for him?"

"Exaclty."

"WHAT THE F—"

Mitchie slammed a pillow over Shane's mouth as he ranted, using every cuss word in the English language, and tried to listen to the report.

"Anyone else you think it could be?"

"Yes, actually," Tess sighed. "It could be this one girl he met during the summer…Mitchie Torres."

"WHAT?!" This time, it was two shrieks of surprise…only Mitchie's was almost horror.

"How much do you know of this girl?"

"Well," Tell said dramatically. "It all started at that camp he was sent to, Camp Rock. Mitchie was there, and so was I, so obviously, I know everything that went on between them. In summary…Midnight swims, canoe rides, singing at Final Jam…the whole camp load. Heaven knows what else went on when people weren't around to look."

"Oh…my…god…" Mitchie breathed in anger.

"Oh my god, indeed," the voice of Steve Torres agreed. The teens spun around guiltily. Steve looked only at his daughter.

"Dad that is not true!" Mitchie exclaimed, pointing a finger at the television. "Shane and I never did any of that…well, we did do the canoe rides and…we did sing at Final Jam but…oh, no." She hung her head.

Shane defended her. "Sir, with all due respect," he said. "I have a purity ring and I swear, Mitchie and I are just friends. I'm sorry for whatever stress this has caused you, sir, but I swear, Tess is lying. Mitchie and I never had a..an affair." It was hard to force out the words.

Mitchie's cheeks burned but Steve didn't notice. He nodded.

"I do believe it's time for you to go, Shane," he said gently.

Shane looked out the window. Sure enough, the storm was clearing up.

He sighed. "Yes, sir."

Once outside, he grabbed his phone and dialed the one number he hated the most.

"Hello?"

"Tess, I don't care what the hell you have to say about me," Shane snarled. "But you leave Mitchie Torres out of this. She never did anything. To you, with me, nothing, understand? You leave her out of this!"

And he hung up.


Alyssa: I admit it...I wrote the whole thing. Sorry this chapter is a bit shorter than the other chapter, but my co-authors said it was good this length...Personally I think they just didn't feel like working today : D LOL Oh well REVIEW!!

Angie: check out story banners on profile, More coming shortly, and don't forget to review!

Mya: umm....I was partying so my peers worked on this...I LOVE THEM REVIEW FOR THEM! THEY DESERVE IT!

Alyssa: You mean I worked on this. LOL REVIEW!!