Tess felt… Strange, waking up the morning after her outing to Hasta La Vista. It was a Sunday, which was never good. "I have to go to work tomorrow…" She started to mumble to herself, her head still buried in the pink pillow.

Then it hit her. "Crap." She jumped out of bed and ran towards her closet.

Sure enough, the note on her bulletin board proved what she'd thought. "Lunch with mom, noon." She read it aloud, slipping new clothes on. Having not spend time with her mom in years, there was no possibility of her missing the meeting. In fact, she'd even had to schedule the lunch with one of her assistants.

Tess laughed slightly. "One of her assistants. Movin' on up, mom." Dressed nicely, she left her apartment.

-

"How many?" The waiter said just when Tess walked into the restaurant, some place with a long French name Tess couldn't remember.

"I'm with someone…" Tess looked around the room, trying to find her mother in the crowd of fancily-dressed businessmen. TJ was in the back, hiding beneath a ridiculously large hat. "There she is."

The waiter gave a quick nod, and Tess was off towards TJ Tyler.

"Mom…" Tess whispered as she approached the table. "Mom?" She looked over her mother's shoulder. Of course, texting. "Mom, come on."

"Oh, Tessie." TJ said, then cleared her voice. "Daughter." She now talked in a hushed tone.

Tess smiled for a few seconds, then slammed into her mother with a hug. "I love you, mom!" She yelled out.

"Hush, Tess." Not exactly the response Tess was hoping for, but she would take it. She sat at her chair opposite from her mother, and looked at her. The hat was, quite frankly, ugly. "What are you wearing?" She laughed.

"It's a disguise. Very important for stars these days." The voice was a bad attempt at being disguised as well, Tess noticed. "I hear you'll be needing one soon too, hanging out with that Connect 4."

No. It wasn't possible that Tess's mother could've heard about her performance the night before. How could anyone have heard? "But…" Tess was about to state her thoughts.

"Of course I heard. Connect 4 announces themselves then the, missing for five years, Tess Tyler, daughter of TJ Tyler, performs." TJ smiled, barely visible under her hat's shadow.

"You talk as if you're not…" Tess said, then realized TJ's face. "Oh, the disguise." Smirking, she waited awkwardly.

"Honey…" TJ took Tess's hand. "You did really, really well last night."

Tess knew where this was going.

"So we were wondering…"

A tear started to form. And to believe she actually thought her mother wouldn't pull something like this.

"Maybe you could work with us?" TJ paused. "Teddy bear."

Work with her? Teddy bear?

"Mom… I don't know."

"Honey…" TJ reached over onto Tess's shoulder. "It'll be great, we've already gotten it all planned out."

Then, much as it had the night before when Shane walked in on Tess, the list flashed into Tess's head. 'Step 4: Confront mom'. It was time.

"Mom, I'll work with you." First, bait her in…

"Oh, yes, that's good." TJ smiled.

"But, we need to talk. There's gonna be some ground rules." TJ's smiled turned to a frown. "Firstly, I get a say. In everything."

"But, I know what's…"

"No. Mom, I can go with or without you. That's the second thing. I'm allowing you to help me. Not the other way around."

"Alright, but…"

"That's it. Take it or leave it." Tess was still smiling. This felt nice.

"Tessie… What has gotten into you?"

"Are you two ready to order?" The same waiter from the front approached the two's table.

"We… We need a bit of time." TJ seemed nervous. Just like Tess had felt. She probably felt like she was mistreated, but the fact that she might have deserved it pulled at the back of her mind. That's how Tess felt all the time around her mother. This time, TJ did deserve it.

"Yes, ma'am." The waiter left.

"So, we doing this or not?" Tess tapped her finger to the table expectantly.

"Um…" TJ pulled out her phone from under the table, where she'd probably been texting for the entire conversation. She held a number for a few seconds then held the cell to her ear. "Chrys. We're still here. Yeah, we talked. Yeah, she'll do it. But…" TJ turned around and spoke in an even lower tone. "She wants package B7. Yeah, the free ride. I know that, but…" She ducked even deeper into her oversized coat and spoke so that Tess could almost not hear her. "I had an idea. Camp Rock. She could teach there. I know, right?" TJ giggled. "I'll tell her. You're sure we're covered? Alright, thanks."

TJ regained her previous posture. "Good news?" Tess smiled. She'd heard the whole conversation, but she wanted to hear it out of her mother's mouth. TJ Tyler was finally going to help Tess for once.

"Chrys says we can deliver package B7. AKA, your deman… Requests." TJ frowned. Tess guessed she really didn't like giving people the option of success. That wasn't like her. "We're gonna have to introduce you, though."

"Camp rock, right?"

"Exactly, you heard me. I expect you know when it starts." TJ said.

In reality, Tess did. She kept tabs on Camp Rock even in the last five years. It would actually start on the coming Friday. But, she decided to lie. "No, when?"

"Next Friday. Are you available?"

Friday. Work was Monday through Friday… Wait, was Tess really thinking about work? She hadn't missed a day in the last two years, so she had enough sick days stocked up for about four weeks. If she went to Camp Rock, she could try it for a little then come back if she needed to. No risk, great return.

"Yeah. I'll do it." Tess said.

-

It was Tuesday, and Tess woke up to her cell ringing. She reached onto her beside table and picked it up. As she had and would for the next four weeks, she had no work. "Hello?" She answered the phone sleepily.

"Hey Tess." Shane Grey. It was Shane Grey! Tess straightened up on her bed. And… He sounded normal.

"Oh, hi Shane." Tess made a mental note to save the number into her phone.

"Your mom wants you to come on to her studio. We're gonna announce the Camp Rock trips." He still didn't sound like anything had happened between them. He'd kissed her, for God's sake!

What? Shane Grey… Connect 4 was going to Camp Rock too?

"Oh, yeah, sure, sure." Tess wiped her eyes.

"Come as fast as you can. We've got doughnuts." Shane hung up.

-

Tess got there as fast as she could. TJ's studio was huge, and still, just walking in on the first floor, Tess was greeted by well over ten people whom she didn't know. Some, who she also didn't know, guided her to the thirtieth floor, where she walked in on Connect 4 in it's entirety. Including Mitchie.

"Hey, Tess." It was Jason who spoke up first. He was the only one not staring at someone, in the case of Shane and Mitchie, or something, in the came of Nate and his deck of playing cards, in the room. But… Why was he staring at Tess like that?

"Um… Hi." Tess looked away. Really, why was he doing that?

"Tess, you made it." Shane broke eye contact with Mitchie finally.

Tess waited for either Nate or Mitchie to say a greeting, but nothing came. She decided to fill the gap. "Where's mom?"

"She said we'll announce in…" Tess could see Jason check his watch out of the corner of her eye. "A half an hour. At noon."

"We'll do it on the fourth floor, conference room." Shane smiled at Tess. She smiled back, remembering Saturday night.

"You're excited to be going back, right Tess?" Mitchie said. "You didn't come in '09. This'll be your first time in…"

"Five years." Tess finished.

"We've been going at counselors for the last four." Shane explained. "It's been nice, Mitch even got us able to participate in Final Jam. Of course, that means all counselors can but…"

"It's definitely worth it." Mitchie said, smirking. "I've won every year since."

All four of them laughed. Tess sensed they were all sincerely doing so, until she looked at Jason. He was definitely faking it… So he knew Mitchie for what she was too.

As the laugh eased down, Tess sat next to Jason on one of the couches for two reasons. One, Mitchie took the spot next to Shane, and two, he seemed to be the only sane one there. Except Shane. Shane was pretty.

-

Thirty minutes later, Connect 4 plus one found their way to the fourth floor, and the conference room. A small group of people, all with microphones and notepads, were already gathered. TJ was also there, standing on the stage already.

"Please welcome… Connect 4 and Tess Tyler!" She yelled, motioning the five to come on stage. The crowd kept silent, as Tess guessed they'd been directed in advance.

Shane went ahead and took the microphone on stage, while the other four stood behind him. Tess knew Shane had grown more and more into the role of a leader over the years.

"Hello, everyone." He said. "As you all know, we've come here to make an important announcement. Camp Rock's Summer session will begin on Friday. Connect 4 is glad to say that all of us, including our new member Mitchie, will be attending for the sixth year, this time once again as counselors."

Still silence from the crowd. It seemed strange to Tess.

"Now, I give you Tess Tyler." Shane smiled to the crowd and stepped back.

She had to speak? Tess hadn't expected this. Still, she stepped up.

"Um… Hello." This wasn't her line of work, public speaking. "I'll be joining Connect 4 at Camp Rock…" Silence, but now it seemed to Tess like the audience was bored. "As a counselor." No response. "Yeah." Tess stepped back. Her face was probably red, and she knew she was shaking.

Jason stepped up. "That concludes this conference. We'll see you at Camp Rock!" He waved his hand, signaling for the audience to finally cheer, yet they only clapped calmly. Quite anti-climactic.

He stepped back, and Tess walked a few steps, heading off the stage. Jason grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back, while the rest of Connect 4 snickered.

"You don't leave until the press does." Jason whispered, and the two's eyes met. He gave her the same stare from before.

"Thanks." Tess blushed even more. Why did he stare at her so strangely?

Author's Note: Sorry for absence. More very soon. As usual, love to Ressficent for co-writing and Review if you feel like it. Short chapter, but Camp Rock soon. Yay!