Author's Note: Wow. Most of you really seemed to like the last chapter! But this is the last chapter, so a last thank you (for this story anyway) goes to BoredHpfan, NorthernLights25, KungFuDuckie-x3, SHAWTii328, disneygirl95, JonasLover22, cdaqtcherry, Florchuchizz, BrazilianPrincess, jonasxsister, gleamingeyes, BlackBeauty613, Vrai Amour, monko25, brucas224, XxNickxXxSkanderxX, dancerPat, Sober Hollywood, semicollon00, Nicole Kathrine, Mina (anon.), Maiqu, nrisley19892007, BornForThisx, Cripps13, LosingTrack, oddball15, Babie.13, ukranianmira, xxburninupxx13, Jonaswifey11, McSerious, hollywoodgal205, unbelievably.yours, PlzBeMineAt705, have-a-cookie, JoBrosCupcakeSwirl, mamaxunicorn, ilovehim x3, pink princess 16, ErikaEverest, blonde-gal, jonasfanlover, creative-writing-girl13, .x.imagine.x., iDreamt, ThenxtMrsNickJonas, SweetSerenityPeacexRose, kokoro192, pr0udpnaii x33, prettygal6, musiclvr21, Remedyzero, xoAlmostFamous, charmedNluckyP3, reader (anon.), cflat, Konnichiwa Minna, xoxoKelsey, JemiandLolgan4ever., shoppinfreak, JaBoyYa, Angie-ange, x miss magic x, epobbp, Yuki's Little Girl, Andy the Christmas Tree, jamierocks5195, and PyroLyn! I'm so glad you all didn't think the chapter was boring, and that you didn't get too terribly mad at me for inserting OCs into the story for the judges, or for not making them kiss at the end. You are all completely amazing.
But without further ado, let me present to you the last chapter of Second Chances...
Second Chances
by PiperPaigePhoebe01
Chapter Fifteen
It seemed to take ages for the three judges to decide. By the time Brown stepped out in the middle of the stage fifteen minutes after Mitchie had given the performance of her life, everyone backstage seemed to be restless, even Shane. Mitchie, Caitlyn and Shane were in a huddle right next to the stage, shooting nervous looks at each other every once in a while.
During one of these moments, Shane and Mitchie looked up at the same time, meeting each others' eyes. Mitchie shivered at the strange look on his face as he looked at her, looking down. She wasn't accustomed to this. If she was perfectly honest with herself, she knew that the only reason why she had walked away from him on that stage, letting go of his hand so quickly and abruptly, was because she was... scared.
The look he had given her was new. The way their hands fit together so perfectly was new and she didn't know how to react, so she had walked away. After all, what else could she have done?
I couldn't have leaned forward and kissed him, not in front of all those people...
She knew that performance wasn't something that could be explained away. No, it was a performance that Shane and Mitchie would both have to confront each other about, considering the passion Mitchie had felt coursing through her veins as soon as Shane had started singing and stepped out of the shadows, onto the walkway, and met her eyes.
There was something new between them both. And more than that, something unexpected.
I don't know what to do about this.
Mitchie shook her head, ignoring the look Caitlyn gave her. She kept her gaze firmly on the ground until Brown stepped onto the stage, which was when she bolted upright, staring out at the stage, feeling her stomach tie in knots. Shane was right next to her, his eyes firmly on Brown at the stage, and Caitlyn was on her other side, her eyes scanning the audience.
In the middle of the stage, Matthew Laurence, Heather Donahue, and Jaclyn Rose were standing, looking quite happy to be there. Dee, one of the main instructors at Camp Rock, was on the other side of Brown, holding the huge trophy the winner of Final Jam would be receiving. Brown was holding the envelope with the results in it, cutting off the chatter immediately after people spotted him.
"All right, this is the moment we've all been waiting for!" Brown proclaimed, and Mitchie felt she was going to fall down. She grabbed onto the first thing her hand latched onto, her heart beating quickly inside her chest. "The results are in, and the winner of Final Jam this year is—" there was a drumroll, and Brown began slitting open the envelope, slowly, meticulously, and took out the piece of paper inside—"Mitchie Torres!"
There was an explosion of applause, and Mitchie couldn't believe her ears.
"What?" she whispered faintly.
"You won, you won!" Caitlyn said, bouncing up and down. "Now, go!"
Two sets of hands pushed her out onto the stage. Mitchie took a deep breath, then hurried toward Brown, Dee, and the three musicians, everything still having not set in yet. A trophy was pressed into her hands and she was turned to face the crowd, who were screaming and clapping and yelling with approval. Mitchie finally seemed to focus, and she stared out at the crowd, a smile blossoming on her face.
I won. I won. I actually won.
I can't believe this. I can't believe it.
Knowing somehow that this action was the right thing to do, she held the trophy above her head, watching as the crowd shrieked their approval. And then she lowered it as Brown began to speak again.
"Congratulations, Mitchie!" he said. "You have now got an opportunity to record with Shane Gray!"
"Wow," Mitchie whispered, still feeling like she was lost in some sort of amazing dream. "Thanks so much."
"Don't thank us," Heather Donahue said, a sparkle in her eye. "You deserved it. Your performance tonight blew us all away, and there was no way that we couldn't give you this amazing opportunity."
Mitchie blushed.
"Also," Jaclyn Rose said in a soft voice, "you and Shane have something special. That's just one more reason why we decided you were the best, but not the only reason. You were amazing out there tonight."
"Wow," Mitchie breathed for the second time.
"All right, all right, enough of the sappy stuff!" Brown exclaimed. "It's time for all of our Final Jammers to get ready for the Final Jam session, so sit tight and we'll be with you again in a moment!"
There was more applause and almost before Mitchie realized it, she was backstage once more, getting hugged tightly by Caitlyn and congratulated by everyone else. Mitchie smiled when necessary, thanked everyone, and turned to the back of the room, wanting to get something to drink before doing the Final Jam session, but abruptly met Shane's eyes once more.
"Oh," she whispered softly.
"Congratulations," Shane said, looking at her with an unreadable expression on his face at first, but as she looked at him, his look changed almost imperceptibly, a smile on his face.
"Thanks," she said.
"Can you meet me by the canoes tonight after everything is over?" Shane asked quickly, almost as if he would lose his nerve if he didn't... but no, Shane never lost his nerve, so that couldn't be it. "I want to talk to you about something."
"Sure," Mitchie said.
Shane's smile grew a bit more. Mitchie smiled back, but she couldn't help her brain as it kicked into overdrive. Questions of all sorts ran through her mind constantly, but she shook them off.
She'd find out after Final Jam, not a moment before, so she might as well find a place to put her trophy, come to terms with what had just happened to her, and still have time to get ready for the last Jam of the year. Of course, it seemed her problem with having Shane permanently on her mind had not been disappeared. Apparently its grip had only slackened a bit, but now, in the midst of all the chaos of Final Jam, it was just her luck that she couldn't get that dark-haired, brown-eyed pop star named Shane Gray out of her head.
I wonder what he wants to talk about...
-
The Final Jam session, luckily for her, seemed to pass by in a blur of singing, applause, and congratulating crowds. Before she knew it, she was standing next to their green canoe, pacing back and forth, rubbing her arms to try and warm them up. She had been out there for at least ten minutes, but Shane had still not arrived. Wishing she had stopped in her cabin for a jacket before heading down here, she slid down to the ground, resting her back against the canoe. If Shane didn't arrive soon, she was going to head back to her cabin.
I'll meet him there if he can't get free in time.
After all, I don't think he'll want me freezing to death...
Fortunately, at that very same moment, there was a rustling from the forest and the cracking of a few twigs. A second later, Shane emerged, removing a few stray leaves from his jacket.
"Hey," Mitchie said, standing up.
"Hey," Shane greeted. As soon as he saw her, he smiled. "You came."
"Of course I did," Mitchie said, "but I wasn't so sure about you. I thought you weren't going to show up. What took you so long?"
"Do you know how hard it is for a member of Connect Three to escape a crowd of people all wanting an autograph?" Shane asked. "Let me tell you, it's not easy. Normally, I'd have Nate and Jason distract them while I slip away, but it looks like Nate was too busy with Caitlyn to notice me. And Jason apparently got someone to build his birdhouse, and he went to see it."
"Nate was too busy with Caitlyn?" Mitchie said, only latching onto that one phrase. "Do you mean—?"
"Yes, I mean that Nate and Caitlyn are apparently together," Shane said. "Believe me, it struck me as an odd match too."
"Nah, it doesn't sound odd to me," Mitchie responded. "Caitlyn's been talking about Nate for a while. I think he's always been her favorite member of Connect Three. They might've hit it off at Beach Jam. Didn't he disappear for a while there?"
Shane glanced at her. "I think he did, thinking about it now."
Mitchie laughed. "Wow. I can't believe this. Caitlyn, the one who slapped you, is with Nate. You're closer than brothers, aren't you?"
"Brothas from another motha," Shane said in a fake gangster tone, causing Mitchie to dissolve into a fit of giggles.
"The gangster look does not suit you, Shane," Mitchie said through fits of laughter. "I think you'd better stay with the arrogant rock star image. At least that one you can pull off."
Shane pretended to look offended. "Are you calling me a poser?"
"Maaaybe," Mitchie said, grinning at Shane.
Shane couldn't help it; he dissolved into laughter as well. For a moment, that was all there was, but then, suddenly, Shane stopped laughing. He looked at Mitchie, a strange look on his face.
"Mitchie, I think there's something we should talk about," Shane said. "We only have a few minutes before we have to be back in our cabin."
"Okay," Mitchie said, shivering as a gust of cold air brushed against her bare arms. Immediately, Shane looked at her, the strange look getting immediately replaced by one of concern.
"Are you cold?"
"No, I'm fine," Mitchie said, but Shane didn't listen.
"Here," he murmured, slipping out of his black leather jacket and handing it to her. "I can handle the cold." Mitchie opened her mouth to protest, but Shane didn't let her. "No, just take it. I'll be fine."
Mitchie nodded, slipping into Shane's leather jacket, which smelled like a mixture of pine, cinnamon, worn-in leather and something else she couldn't quite place, but something that was distinctly Shane-smelling. Before she knew it, she was warming up and she was letting the smell of the jacket wrap around her like one of her favorite blankets from home. She smiled at Shane.
"Thanks," she said.
"Don't mention it," Shane said.
There was a heartbeat of silence. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"
"What happened on stage tonight," Shane quickly said. "Mitchie, you were amazing out there. I knew you were good, but I didn't know you were that good, and... when I joined it, and we sang together, I felt something... different. I wasn't sure what it was, but it was nice. Was I the only one who felt like there was something more between us than friendship?"
Mitchie looked down, gathering Shane's too-large jacket around her a bit tighter.
"Mitchie?"
"No, you weren't," she whispered, coming to terms with what she had felt but wouldn't admit. "I've been feeling that for a while, but it was more powerful, I guess, tonight. It made me feel there's more between us than friendship, like you said."
Shane met her gaze. "Do you think there is?"
"I just said yeah," Mitchie whispered, wondering where this was going.
"Do you want there to be?" he asked suddenly.
"I..." That question took Mitchie by surprise. "I don't know. I mean, this past month has been so unstable, and we've only really been friends for less than a month, so should we risk a... a... a—"
Mitchie couldn't say it.
"A relationship?" Shane prompted.
"Yeah," Mitchie whispered in a low voice. "I like us being friends and I don't want to lose... this, whatever this is. What if we... get together and something like last summer and the beginning of this summer happens? You know what they say: friends can become boyfriend and girlfriend, but if you break up with them, your chance for friendship is basically gone. I don't want that to happen."
"Do you think it will?" Shane asked.
"It might," Mitchie responded. "Our first... attempt at a friendship evaporated. We gave each other a second chance, but how long can this second chance last? It might run out, and then what?"
"I don't think it will," Shane said candidly. "Personally, I felt whatever that feeling was too, and I think it's strong enough to carry us through pretty much anything. I still don't have a clue what it is, but I know what it's not: it's definitely not friendship. If it was, I wouldn't have gotten the urge to kiss you like I did. I want to take our second chance, the one we both gave each other, as far as we can, but I won't if you don't want to."
Mitchie nearly melted at those statements.
He's being so sweet and kind and... and...
Second chances.
I gave him a second chance. We're now friends, closer than I ever thought we could be, and I already know that we both have feelings for each other now... how far can we take this second chance? I don't want to ruin our friendship, but...
Is it worth the risk?
Mitchie shivered, but not from the cold, and Shane seemed to realize she was thinking, because he didn't say anything. For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of a few crickets chirping in the distance, but then Mitchie abruptly made a decision.
"I want to see how far this second chance will take us," she whispered, staring up at him.
"Good," Shane whispered back.
And with that, Shane snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. Their eyes met. For a moment, they simply stared at each other, almost drinking in each others' gaze, and then Shane leaned down, pressing his lips to hers in a soft, hesitant, but still passionate kiss. Mitchie's arms went around his neck, playing with the ends of Shane's long hair, and Mitchie knew she had made the right decision.
The kiss seemed to both last an eternity and yet be over in a second and, as they broke off the kiss, Mitchie smiled softly, Shane's smile following a mere second after hers.
"Thank God for second chances," Shane whispered to her.
Mitchie couldn't help it—she laughed.
Shane laughed with her and then, pulling her ever closer, pressed his lips firmly to hers one more time.
Fin.
-
Author's Note: So there you have it. The conclusion of my most successful story to date, Second Chances. I hope the ending chapter did not disappoint you! This story is the one I'm most proud of and, without you readers and reviewers, it would not be as good as it is, so a HUGE thank you goes to everyone who reviewed my story, added it to their favorites and/or alert lists, or who just read it and enjoyed it. Without you, I don't think this story would have gone past the second chapter or been as good as it is, so I am definitely indebted to you all.
Thanks so much for reading and enjoying this story. Please review it one last time and tell me what you think? Another huge thank you in advance for those who will take time out and review it.
But also, one last note before I leave you all to review: as I said in my last chapter's end authors' note, I am about to start a new story. The first chapter will probably be up tomorrow or the next day but to give you a little teaser, I'm going to give you the summary I'm planning on submitting to FFnet. Hope it encourages you all to want to go out and read it! Here it is:
She is a popstar that just wants to have a normal life. He is a cocky rockstar that needs an attitude adjustment. When their paths cross, they couldn't be more different, but fate has the habit of playing the strangest tricks on people... AU. ShaneMitchie.
I don't have a title yet, but that's something you guys could perhaps help with. So, I hope that summary encourages you all to check it out when I get it posted, but I'll stop blabbering again.
Please review!