Carter almost sang with relief when her feet touched the ground. For seven hours she had been sandwiched between Mitchie and Connie, who weren't speaking to each other. Well, Carter thought, It wasn't so much that they weren't speaking to each other rather than Connie asking Mitchie questions and Mitchie glaring at me and Connie in return. Carter gave the two Torres women a lame excuse, muttering about finding the registration office and all but ran away from her relatives. Yes, Carter intoned, it was good to be around other people for a while.

In her haste to get away from her cousin and mother, Mitchie just grabbed her bags and ran. As luck would have it, the first person she met was the person she collided head on with; Shane Gray of the internationally famous Connect 3. She started to stammer out an apology and even helped the person gather their things until she looked up and realized who she had run into. Then, with a scowl on her face, she picked up her belongings and stormed all the way across the camp, meeting numerous old camp mates on her journey.

"Hey Mitchie!" she heard a voice call out and had a scathing remark on the tip of her tongue until she turned around and saw who had called her. Caitlyn Gellar smiled at her friend and walked towards her, a tall, dark-haired boy following her. Noticing Mitchie's puzzled look, she quickly made introductions.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Mitchie, this is my cousin Justin. Justin, this is my friend Mitchie." Mitchie smiled at Justin, taking in his slightly-overgrown black hair and hundred watt smile. He's hot, she admitted to herself, but not my type.

"It's really nice to meet you," Mitchie said.

"Oh Mitch! I almost forgot, what cabin are you in?" Caitlyn asked.

"Oh... I honestly didn't check... Hold on." Mitchie dug in her backpack and pulled out the envelope her mother had given her that morning. Opening it, she saw her information printed out:

MIKAYLA TORRES; CABIN #16.

"Cabin number sixteen. You?" Mitchie said.

"Same." Caitlyn smiled.

"Okay, well, I'll see you guys at the Opening Jam!" Mitchie smiled. With that, she started to walk towards her cabin.

Shane Gray sat on his bed in Cabin 12 with his head in his hands. This year, he was sharing his cabin with Nate, Jason and some guy named Justin. However, that wasn't the source of his problems. He had just encountered Mitchie Torres, the girl he had signed his heart off to the previous year. Closing his eyes, he remembered the worst day of his life, December 15th.

"Shane!" Mitchie smiled as she opened the front door, "I thought you were flying in on the twentieth?"

"I was," Shane said, his smile strained.

Mitchie noticed this and opened the door wider and gestured for him to come inside. He shook his head no and she asked if everything was alright.

"Yeah... Everything's fine actually. There's something I need to tell you but it's something I need to tell you in person."

Mitchie stepped out on the porch and closed the door behind her, not wanting her parents to overhear what Shane had to say, but then again they were probably too busy arguing to realise she was outside. Internally, she was a mess, trying to figure out what was so important that Shane had to fly from L.A. to New Jersey to tell her. It wasn't that he loved her; No, he'd told her that since September. The only other possible thing was that he was breaking up with her. No, it can't be that, she assured with herself.

"Okay, what is it?" Mitchie asked, her smile also slightly strained.

Sighing, Shane pinched the bridge of his nose and turned away from her. "It's not you Mitch, it's me. I've been so busy with the tours and record parties I haven't had time to be with you, to spend time with you. The last time we saw each other was October Mitch. You deserve more than that, more than what I can give you."

"That's bullshit Shane Gray and you know it." Mitchie stated angrily.

"Honestly Mitch, I think it'll be better for both of us if we're just" before he could finish his sentence, he heard the door slam shut and he turned around to see through the stained glass on the door Mitchie running up to her room. "Friends." he finished lamely, before walking down the drive to his rented Volvo.

Pulled back to the present by a knock on his cabin door, he got off his bed and went to it.

"What?" he snapped, not even knowing who the person was.

"Well. if that's the way you're gonna greet me for the whole of this summer, I have half a mind to fly back to L.A. right now." Nate mock-scolded, laughing at his oldest friend and bandmate.

"Wasn't there a reason we all got keys?" Shane asked, shuffling through his suitcase looking for something to wear later.

"Yes, but there's also a reason I don't have it, I forgot it on the table." Nate said.

"Oh yes, I remember now, a certain Miss Gellar was parading around camp with an unknown young gentleman and you flew out of here faster than Superman." Shane teased.

"Whatever. He's her cousin, by the way." Nate mumbled before grabbing a shirt and a pair of jeans out of his belongings and laid it out on the bed.

"Wow, your such a girl." Shane laughed, watching his friend lay out his clothes on the bed.

"Who's a girl?" asked a third voice and the two adolescents looked up to see that the last third of their band, Jason had joined them.

"Nate is." Shane smirked.

"Umm dude, don't want to burst your bubble but Nate's a dude." Jason said in a 'duh' tone.

Shane just shook his head and decided to say nothing. "I'll see you guys later at the Opening Jam, right?"

"Yup!" Nate and Jason chorused.

Closing the door, Shane smiled as Nate tried to explain to Jason why Shane thought he was a girl.

"So, what are you wearing to Opening Jam?" A voice asked Mitchie. Mitchie spun around, clutching her heart and her expression turned from one of petrification to that of mock-anger.

"That's twice in two days Carter, twice. Are you trying to give me a heart attack or something?" Mitchie asked, watching her cousin.

"Hey! It's not my fault someone fails to lock doors behind them!" Carter laughed, leaning against the doorframe. "So, like I asked earlier, what are you wearing to the jam tonight?"

"I have no idea." Mitchie held up a tank top, pulled a face and threw it back into the suitcase, sighing.

"I know exactly what you should wear!" Carter smiled, and playfully knocked Mitchie aside.

After a few seconds of rummaging thorough the suitcase, Carter's hands resurfaced with a pair of leggings in one and an oversized red flannel shirt in the other.

"Hold on, I think I packed them... Yes!" she shouted, pulling up a pair of black ballet flats that Mitchie could have sworn she never saw before in her life, amongst other unrecognizable items in her suitcase.

Mitchie decided to keep her mouth shut and graciously accepted the clothes thrust in her hands.

AN: Okay! That was a fairly satisfying chapter, no? :D As always, Reviews=Love!

xoxo k