Yay longer. :) Next chapter WILL be full of Shane-goodness, I swear by the hair on my chiny, chin, chin! Um, so, yeah, it's progressing at least. I should have another chapter like really soon, maybe even tomorrow. I have work for eight hours, but I'm at a computer all day without anything to do. So I'll should get alot done. Well, hope you enjoy this chapter!
REVIEW! I can't write without readers. I need you guys!!
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Camp Rock was as dazzling as I remembered. It was like any other summer camp, sure; all dirt and trees and cabins, a tamer version of the great outdoors that was a safe and accessible environment for hormone-ravaged teenagers. But Camp Rock was special, different in some ethereal sense. In my mind, Camp Rock was like a shrine for the Rock Gods; a small little gate to a realm that held nothing but pure, perfect music. Untamed, untouched, and unpublished.
I stayed close to the Jeep, on the flat field of dirt that served as the Camp parking lot. I was afraid, in all seriousness. Terrified, actually. But even so, I wanted to move closer, to touch and feel everything that was Camp Rock and know that this was all real, that I wasn't dreaming. I was here, finally at Camp Rock after too long an absence. I gawked a moment, looking awkward and nervous for far too long. I was anxious, happy, depressed, hopeful and devoid of hope all at the same time and it showed on my face. "I'm off then, Mitchie Mouse," My dad happily announced as he unloaded the last of my behemoth-sized duffle bags, dumping it unceremoniously onto the small wagon he'd managed to swipe from my mom's catering truck before we'd left home. He hugged and kissed me goodbye, wished me good luck, told me to call often or else my mom would die of an heart attack, then jumped into his jeep and drove away, honking a final farewell.
I watched him with a grim satisfaction. I'd been right to have him drive me up. He wasn't a hysterical, pregnant woman with enough personalities to supply a legion of zombies with mood swings. He was smart and understanding and a practically drama-less man. He had handled my upcoming two-month absence with such pose, that I almost feared he'd forgotten. He hadn't of course, he just didn't bother to worry about it. Unlike my mother, who seemed to believe that the world would come to an unseemly end the moment I left. She was crazy. Always on the 'gloom and doom' side of any argument. I smiled, suddenly excited for my two-months of freedom. Maybe my whole 'annihilate all relationships' scheme wouldn't entirely destroy my summer. I could at least enjoy the solitude this friendless summer would bring. I would be able to do what I wanted, when and where I wanted too without having to explain a thing! It would be bliss… Just the thought had a smile, not a forced one, but a real, genuine smile stretching my cheeks.
That's when Brown popped out of nowhere, and stomped happily on my brief optimism.
"Your early, poppet!" He jogged across the parking lot towards me, waving his hands and smiling with such intensity that I felt blinded. I flinched and sucked all my excitement in tight, morphing my face into the signature, teenager scowl. "Unfortunately," I hissed, folding my arms in fake irritation. Brown stopped dead in tracks, something like pity in his eyes. Ah, so mom had told him everything. "Oh," I mouthed, my arms falling. "Yes, Oh." He returned, with a frown, studying me carefully. It wasn't worth it then, if he knew the truth. "Sorry, about that. Just practicing," I smiled reluctantly and shrugged my shoulders, praying he wouldn't be totally disgusted with me. He sighed, his hands suddenly on my shoulders and a careful, parental expression on his face. "No worries," he said , shaking me lightly. "But don't go too overboard, alright? I don't want none of my nephews crying." He smiled, laughter in his eyes. I smiled too, the thought of any one of the Connect Three members crying, over me, somewhat hilarious.
Seeming satisfied, he backed away and smiled wider, reaching for my wagon's handle. He walked back towards Camp and I followed, stuffing my hands into my jean pockets. We walked a little before he spoke again. "You look…." he frowned, "different." I frowned as well, glancing down at myself. I was different; completely transformed from the sweet, innocent girl I'd been into something I couldn't quite explain. I was skinnier now, my body lanky and meatless, my arms and legs so thin that I often worried that the slightest breeze would break them. My hair was longer now, reaching somewhere beyond the small of my back. I dyed my hair, changing it from a chocolate auburn to a jet black. My bangs had grown as well, the fringe fell over my eyes now, effectively hiding their all-telling depths. My mother had always said that my eyes were like big, wide windows into my soul; telling the world my secrets.
Another change was my wardrobe. I didn't wear bright colors anymore; I couldn't stand to be seen in such eye-catching colors. Now I wore mostly black and brown. Sometimes I got brave and added a few touches of color, some red here, some forest green there, but it was always in small amounts. I wore fall clothes most of the time; jeans and sweaters, I didn't even dare a glance at skirts, let alone wear them. "Yeah," I finally agreed, folding my arms again. "Wanted to try something new," I smiled uneasily. Brown smiled back, and nudged my shoulder with his own. "It's cool, kind of depressing though." I nodded, agreeing completely. That was the whole point of it, I wanted to be depressed. And I wanted to be depressing… to other people, I mean.
I was silent the rest of the way. Brown would often talk, pointing out new cabins and the upgrades to the old ones. He described the upcoming months with an overwhelming joy, it was almost contagious. I even found myself smiling once or twice, simply enjoying Brown's company. We walked through the entire camp, Brown bragging the entire way about how great a cabin he'd snatched me. It made me a little nervous. I hoped he hadn't placed me with Margaret, or Ella, or Tess, or more importantly, Caitlyn. I couldn't handle being a bitch twenty-four seven, especially to her. I would crack under the pressure and probably try to apologize. And then Caitlyn, being the amazing person she was, would forgive me and all my plans would be ruined. "Here we are!" Brown dragged me from my thoughts and I stared up at my summer home, my eyes wide and disbelieving. "This is-?" I blanched, unable to finish my sentence. "The only cabin left from the old, old camp layout. Real cool, right?" He grinned smugly, apparently proud of himself. "Way so!" I gasped, holding my chest.
At least teen feet above me, hidden discretely in the trees, was an old tree house. It wrapped around the tree, very securely anchored to the very large, very wide trunk and I didn't have a doubt in my mind that it would hold. There was a ladder nailed to the bark, leading to small latch in the tree house's floor. It was high enough to hide itself from wandering campers, but low enough to keep me within safe falling distance to the ground. Without much thought to it, I swung around and latched myself to Brown. "Thanks soo much! This is, unbelievable!" I snuggled against his chest, hugging tighter. He laughed loudly, patting my back, "knew you'd love it." I released him and backed away, reaching for my bags, but he blocked me and pick them up himself, grinning again. "Little girl, you won't make it up the first step." He started towards the ladder. I scoffed but followed obediently, a smile now permanently plastered to my face. Now I had a place to hide when all my lies came crashing down. A place all my own. I waited till Brown had slipped through the small floor door before climbing the steps myself. It was a hard climb, my arms and legs burning by the time I had reached the door. I moved to pull myself up through opening when suddenly two very large, very manly hands wrapped around my wrists and dragged me up. I gasped, wriggling awkwardly in the man's grip as he wrenched me upward.
As soon I was safely through the door, Brown - or so I had guessed - released my hands and I fell onto the tree house's hard, wood floor with a yelp. Furious, as you can imagine, my head snapped up as I prepared to give Brown an angry earful. But the eyes I met weren't Brown's comfortable hazel, they were a certain someone's smoldering chocolate browns. "Long time, no see, Mitch. Remember me?" Then, without a sound, I fainted.