Author's Note: Wow. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to get this many reviews for one chapter—thirty-seven? For one chapter? That is amazing, so a HUGE thank you to dancerPat, Joe and Kevin Jonas Fan, IAMSOAP, blonde-gal, katie (anon.), tangledshadows, Maiqu, nec2012, nrisley19892007, Angie-ange, BBONES, ssncarmen, WalkingInDarkness737, NorthernLights25, Mackenzie Weasley, Nicole Kathrine, MsBadGirl, Shizuki Tsukishima749, Peachie-Trishie, penguinsrpals, KCMemory, anonymous (anon.), DancerGirlMitchie, hollywoodgal205, MissMadi, BitchyGurl-GetOverIt-, Florchuchizz, SaphirePhoenix, The Sushi Monster, pink princess 16, Invisable-rocker, QueenSusanLovesKingCaspian, monko25, Paupu, LosingTrack, Animefreakkagome, and MitsukixTakuto 4 ever! Also, a great big thank you to those people who continue to add this story to their favorites and alert lists. (hands everyone two great big virtual cookies)
Hope you all continue to enjoy this chapter!
Second Chances
by PiperPaigePhoebe01
Chapter Four
"I'm the girl with the voice."
Mitchie looked up after this pronouncement, watching as her friends' faces changed from concerned to shocked in an instant. Lola seemed speechless, but Caitlyn looked as though she was bursting to say something but couldn't find the exact words she wanted to say.
"What?" she finally managed.
"I'm the girl Shane's looking for," Mitchie said again. "That's my song."
There was silence for a moment as Caitlyn and Lola both tried to process this. Mitchie looked down, fiddling with the hem of her dark blue shirt, her eyes cast on the fabric. Now that she knew that she was the girl Shane was looking for, she no longer knew what to do.
I can't tell him—he wouldn't believe me if I did... and if I kept it a secret, he'd be miserable and I don't want that...
Mitchie let out a soft sigh and looked at her friends.
"I don't know what I should do," Mitchie said. "I mean, it's not like he'd believe me if I told him—"
"So don't tell him," Caitlyn said, finally finding the words. "If he doesn't find the girl with the voice this summer, so what? He deserves it after the way he's treating you. He's being a complete jerk, and he doesn't deserve to find you."
"He's just hurt," Mitchie murmured. "That doesn't mean he deserves to be miserable."
"Mitchie." Caitlyn's eyes flared. "If he was 'just hurt,' he wouldn't be acting this way. No, he's deliberately holding this over your head, and you do not deserve that. Don't you understand he's being a jerk? This has gone way too far, especially when he didn't even care that you were out in the dark all alone."
"I guess, but..."
"No 'but's," Caitlyn said. "If I were you, I wouldn't tell him."
Lola nodded in agreement. "Remember my song last year?"
Mitchie thought about it for a while. "The one you sang on Open Mic Night?"
"Yeah," Lola said, smiling. "The lyrics went: 'Everyone is different but where we can agree is every girl wants her boy to treat her sweet.' With how I see it, Shane's going to completely fall for this 'mystery girl' once he finds out who she is, no matter who she is." Mitchie opened her mouth to protest, but Lola cut her off. "That's just how I see it. So, you don't have to automatically fall into his arms once you know he's looking for you. He doesn't deserve that unless he treats you the way he should before he knows it's your song."
"I guess," Mitchie said slowly. "He is being a bit of a jerk."
"A bit?" Caitlyn said, grinning.
"Okay, a lot," Mitchie corrected. "So... maybe I will keep it from him. Just for a while."
Caitlyn and Lola exchanged a look. "Good."
"Let's make him regret ever being such a jerk to you," Caitlyn continued. "Let's wait until he's really desperate to find you. You shouldn't reveal yourself until he's finally gotten some sense knocked into him."
Mitchie nodded, feeling part of what Caitlyn said made a lot of sense. "Yeah, okay," she said. "I guess he deserves to suffer for a while... but I will reveal myself sooner or later, when he stops being a jerk to me."
"How about at Final Jam?"
That's too long, Mitchie thought, and was about to protest when Lola added her opinion.
"That's a good idea," Lola said. "That gives us a lot of time to completely surprise him by your voice, just when he's given up on finding you."
"I don't know..." Mitchie began. "I don't want him to try to find me for that long."
Immediately Caitlyn and Lola began talking her around to their point of view. She did have to admit that they were making a lot of sense. After all, she had hurt him, and Shane no longer wanting to be her friend made sense, but he was taking it a bit too far in the "jerk" direction.
And he wouldn't believe me if I told him right away... he'd think I was just trying to get close to him again...
She sighed. Part of her wanted to agree to Caitlyn and Lola's ideas, but another part wanted to back away and not do anything about her being the girl he's looking for—just wait and see if he found her on his own. Of course, she was beginning to see flaws in her idea...
...and then found herself agreeing with Caitlyn and Lola.
"Fine," she found herself saying.
Caitlyn and Lola exchanged a triumphant grin.
-
It was the first full day of camp, and Shane walked down to the mess hall for breakfast. Everywhere he looked, he saw people clutching his "Missing" posters, pointing and whispering behind their hands as he passed. A few people even tried to sing a few lines of the song, but Shane walked a bit faster everytime they did—none of them could possibly be the girl.
She's here somewhere, though. I just need to figure out where.
He shook his head. Wherever she was, she was clearly not going to reveal herself out of the blue, and he had to be patient.
Except patience has never been my strongest virtue...
Shane rolled his eyes at himself as he entered the mess hall. His eyes immediately fell to the piano tucked next to one wall—was his mystery girl going to appear here one day? Or would she reveal herself to him in another way? Would she even reveal herself at all, or would she be so shy that she wouldn't even sing the song in the shower because she was so afraid someone would hear her and alert him?
Shane shook his head at those thoughts.
Why am I acting like a lovestruck eleven-year-old?
As Shane headed to one of the circular tables practically bursting with food, he thought he understood the answer to that question: he was acting like it because he was this close to becoming lovestruck. It was a serious problem, and one he needed to remedy right away—even though he didn't particularly want to. Imagine what the press would say if they heard Shane Gray was in love with someone he hadn't even seen!
Shane walked over to the instructors' table and sat down. I really shouldn't act like this.
But I don't think I can stop.
He shook his head once more, then looked down at his plate. Since he needed to head to the cabin for the class he was instructing—Dance 101, like it had been last year—to set up, he ate quickly and steadily, ignoring the mess hall as it continued to fill up around him. As he scooped up his last bit of egg and put it in his mouth, Uncle Brown appeared once more.
"Hey, Uncle Brown," Shane said, thankful he didn't have time to talk. "I just got done breakfast and need to go set up for my lesson this morning, so I don't have time to talk."
His uncle fixed him with his patented "You're Not Going Anywhere Until I'm Done With You" look. "You never have time to talk," his uncle said. "Ever since you saw Mitchie you haven't had time to talk."
"I've been busy, Uncle Brown," he said.
"Not so busy that you can't spare a moment to talk to your dear uncle Brown," he said, sitting down in the seat opposite Shane. "If you're late to your lesson, it'll be fine—I'm late to my lessons half the time."
Shane wanted to protest, but his uncle didn't let him.
"Shane, you're bothered by Mitchie," his uncle said. "And I know she lied to you, but you're taking this incredibly out of control. At least you can try to be civil toward her. She doesn't deserve you treating her the way she has and, if you don't stop, I might have to take action."
At this, Shane rolled his eyes, but his uncle's severe tone—so normally light and humorous—cut back any protests he had. Instead, he stood up, picking up his plate. "I don't need the lecture, Uncle Brown," he said in a lower voice than he had intended. "I know what I'm doing. And if you'll excuse me, I need to go set up. We can talk later."
Shane ignored his uncle's sigh. Dropping his plate off in the designated place, he headed out of the mess hall, his thoughts traveling to the plans he had for his dancing lesson that morning. He just knew it was going to be amazing—ever since a month ago, when he had decided to come back to Camp Rock, he had had this plan in his head.
And now I'm finally going to be able to do it.
Shane smiled. He quickened his pace as he got closer to the cabin. He hoped that nobody was there already—he had quite a bit of stuff to set up, and it would be easier if he didn't have any distractions—but his hopes were dashed as he entered the cabin and saw a group of three girls in the corner of the room, whispering quietly together. As the door creaked open, however, they turned to look at him.
Of course, he thought, his smile disappearing.
It's just typical that Mitchie Torres is in my first class.
-
Author's Note: Well, okay. There's not so much drama in this chapter. It's just getting the characters where they need to be in order for the drama to occur. There are a few things I want to change here and there, but... I think it's a good chapter. I promise that there will be more drama in the next chapter—after all, Mitchie and Shane are in the same class. How can there not be drama?
But... anyway. Please review!