Author's note: Wow..I feel like I've probably lost quite a bit of my readers because of the gap in between updates, and I feel really bad that this took me so long. Honestly, my interests are shifting and it's hard for me to write as fast as I once did. I'm trying as best I can to get updates for both of my stories up in a timely manner. If you've stuck around for the entire story to date, I really, truly appreciate you. Please keep sending me your reviews, they'll only help me update faster! Thank you all!

Chapter Six

"Mitchie? Are you awake in there?"

A light hand tapping on the door accompanied the voice filtering into the hotel room.

"Come on, Mitchie, let me in!"

Three more raps on the door-thump, thump, thump.

"I know you have a key, Alex," Mitchie said as loudly as her half-asleep body would allow.

The electronic lock beeped softly, and a second later the door creaked open. "Just trying to be polite."

Mitchie rolled over to face her friend but kept her head on the pillow, too warm under the blankets to not be annoyed by the early morning disturbance.

"Whoa," Alexandra laughed as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "That's one serious case of bed head you've got going on." She pointed to Mitchie's hair as it laid in every direction.

"what are you doing here so early?" Mitchie groaned, trying to ignore her friend's comment. "It's not even nine o'clock, and this is my last day to do nothing."

That afternoon was the final rehearsal before the kick-off of the tour the following day, and Mitchie had been looking forward to her last free morning.

"You didn't really want to spend your morning laying around, did you?" Alexandra asked with sincerity.

"That was the plan…" Mitchie begrudgingly sat up and leaned back against the headboard. Her eyes fell on her assistant who was currently wearing an excited grin. "…but obviously the plan has changed."

Alexandra's eyes lit up as she was given permission to explain. "Well, I was down by the vending machines getting a drink when I ran into Nate and Shane-"

"You talked to Shane?" Mitchie interrupted.

"I knew that would get your attention, and no," Alexandra shook her head. "Tess wasn't with them." She crossed her arms contently and waited; she didn't want to do all of the work.

Seconds passed, and the rest of the story never came.

"That's it?!" Mitchie cried at last.

"Not hardly," Alexandra snorted. "I just wanted to make sure you're listening."

"Alex, I'm listening! I'm on the edge of my seat, so spill it now!"

The two girls sat in tense silence until Alexandra finally spoke. "They invited to go to the beach with them today!"

The beach-the sun, the bright blue water, the warm sand-sounded awfully enticing in Mitchie's mind. Being in public in a swimsuit, especially with Shane around, wasn't quite as desirable.

"That's probably not a good idea."

"Hey," Alexandra said, sensing the hesitation. "The boys thought ahead! They had the label send you and me a ton of swimsuits-there's got to be something you like in here." She set a large shopping bag on the bed and pushed it diplomatically towards the headboard.

Mitchie glared at her assistant, feeling ambushed, but decided it couldn't hurt to take a peek. She dipped her hand into the paper bag and pulled out the top of a bikini.

"They expect me to wear that? Absolutely not."

"Keep looking," Alexandra urged.

Sighing, Mitchie began to dig through the bag once more. One-by-one she pulled out pieces and tossed them aside as she deemed them unacceptable. She was about to concede to defeat when her eyes fell upon the last remaining suit.

"It's perfect," she admitted, holding it up to take a better look.

Alexandra smiled smugly. "I know you'd find something in there. Now get up and get ready, they want to leave in an hour!" She jumped to her feet with a smile and yanked Mitchie out from under the covers, pulling her towards the bathroom to get ready.

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Mitchie stepped out into the main room of her hotel suite, an unsure look on her face. "This isn't pretty, Alex."

"I think you look great," Alexandra scoffed. "But if you're worried, you can put this on." She tossed a thin sundress at her friend.

"Wow, you really have this all planned out." Mitchie observed. She pulled on the dress, immediately feeling more comfortable. If she could muster the courage to do everything she'd done so far, maybe she could handle this day with Shane.

"I didn't want to give you a reason to say no," Alexandra said, holding open the exit.

"So it's just you, me, Nate, and Shane" Mitchie tried her hardest to hide her excitement as the two filed down the hallway.

Alexandra picked up her pace and took a deep breath, waiting until they stood in the privacy of the elevator to respond. "Jason will be there, and Tess-:

"TESS?!" Mitchie's angry voice bounced off the metal walls. "Why did you lie to me?"

"Mitchie, calm down! I didn't lie to you, I just knew you wouldn't agree to come if you knew Tess was coming with us."

"And why do you think that is, Alex? I don't want anything to do with her! I'm going back to my room." Mitchie reached for the button panel, but Alexandra pushed her hand away.

"Hear me out," her friend pleaded. "You like Shane, but, for some strange reason, Shane likes Tess."

"If you're trying to make me feel better, it's not working."

"I'm not done!" Alexandra continued. "You've got to fight for what you want, Mitchie. All of your friends are rooting for you, but we can only do so much. You need to go to that beach and show him what he's missing! At least, that's what I think."

A long, awkward silence blanketed the elevator, and no one dared to break it.

"If anything goes wrong, I'm going to kill you," Mitchie warned as the elevator came to a stop and its doors slid open.

"I knew you'd make the right choice!" Alexandra rejoiced. She flung an arm around Mitchie's shoulder and guided her across the hotel lobby. "Let's go, our ride is waiting."

The pair emerged into the bright sunshine, noticing two black SUVs parked next to the curb. The back window of the second car rolled down slowly, revealing a familiar face.

"Hey ladies!" Jason laughed. "Get in!"

The back door clicked open and Mitchie piled in after Alexandra.

"Where are Shane and Tess?" She choked slightly on the second name as she took her seat beside Nate.

"They're in the car in front of us," Nate explained. He recognized the look of disappointment Mitchie was trying to mask. "Just sit back and relax, the best beach is only a few minutes away."

The car ride was quick as promised, the small caravan arriving at its destination before Mitchie had time to really setting into her worries. The four friends from the second car shuffled across the sand until they found a suitable spot to set their chairs.

"Are those two even going to hang out with us?" Alexandra sneered as she fell back into her chair. Her eyes were fixed on Shane and Tess who had run ahead of the group and were already playing several yards away in the surf.

"Doubtful," Nate sighed. "No one else exists when those two are together."

The idea was a painful one for Mitchie to swallow. She tried to shake the thought as she claimed her seat between Nate and Alexandra. Her assistant was already wrapped up in a conversation about the tour with Jason, leaving her only one distraction.

"So, what's their story?" Mitchie leaned over to casually pose the question, her gaze never leaving the ocean.

"Shane and Tess? You really want to do this now?" Nate sighed. He had foolishly thought he might spend his free morning in peace.

"I'm expected to spend every day for the next month with them, maybe even try to break them up, so I think it's only fair that I know what I'm up against."

"Breaking them up is such a nasty way to put it," Nate objected, but Mitchie had turned to stare pleadingly at him. "Okay, fine! They've been together since the day they ditched Camp Rock, and I mean together: I can't remember the last day they spent apart. Tess goes everywhere we do, and, unfortunately, her mom is too busy to care."

"Is he happy?" Mitchie watched as Shane picked up Tess and tossed her gently into the waves, both of them laughing. As much as she despised Tess, she would feel awful guilty interfering with a genuinely good thing.

Nate shrugged. "I've seen him happier, but most of the time she seems to do the trick."

"That's all you have to say?" Mitchie was dying for more information, anything she could get.

"Honestly, Shane doesn't' discuss her with me," Nate admitted. "He doesn't talk about it with Jason either, so don't even bother. If you want the real scoop, you'd have to go to the source."

Mitchie shook her head and nervously tightened her ponytail. "Like that'll ever happen."

"Do you want to have some fun?" Nate asked quickly, trying to change the subject for the better.

"I guess that's what we're here for; what do you have in mind?"

"The next step in the plan."

"Oh, we're still going ahead with that?" The tone of her voice suggested Mitchie was interested.

Nate tapped his ever-present notebook and nodded. "Oh yeah, it's still in motion. The next step is for you to steal Shane's attention away from Tess, and to keep it. If you manage to get yourself on his mind you'll have your foot in the door."

Mitchie pondered the challenge for a long moment and then hopped to her feet. It was about time she took a risk. "Okay, let's do it!"

She had commanded the attention of all three seated friends, their eyes on her as she reluctantly peeled off her dress.

"Do you think that'll work?" Alexandra reached across the empty chair to nudge Nate.

Mitchie stood before them in the swimsuit she'd chosen, feeling undeniably insecure. It was a retro cut, one-piece in a deep shade of blue, the heart-shaped neckline revealing just enough.

"Absolutely," Nate agreed. "Let's go!" He stood up and took Mitchie by the wrist, leading her across the warm sand.

"Laugh, act happy," he instructed, whispering in her ear as their feet hit the water. She nodded softly and gave a wink in return.

"Oh, Nate!" Mitchie laughed loudly as the two moved deeper into the ocean.

The sudden outburst caught the attention of Shane and Tess, though they didn't dare interrupt. Nate noticed his band made staring unabashedly at Mitchie, a fact that pleased him. He spun Mitchie around a few times until the sight became too much for Tess.

"Come on," Shane's jealous girlfriend commanded. "We need to go."

"We just got here!" Shane tore his eyes away from Mitchie to look at a very angry Tess.

"Yeah, well, you have rehearsal!"

Shane couldn't help but be confused by the whole situation0Tess had never before cared about his schedule. Still, he allowed her to drag him out of the water ,looking back for one last glimpse at beautiful Mitchie.

Mission Accomplished.