Thursday was uneventful, to the extent that by the end of the day, Tess wanted to go back to work. That's why her happiness which was already present on Friday was amplified. She'd finally be going back to Camp Rock after her five-year absence.

By the time she got up at six, she had barely enough time to pack. Connect 4 and TJ would be picking her up at seven-thirty. So, Tess headed right into her closet to retrieve her suitcase. After a few seconds of looking, she found it behind her dresser. "Huh, I thought I put it under that pile of clothes." She shrugged it off. Probably nothing.

She took various trips between her bed, which she'd situated her suitcase on top of, and her closet, where she grabbed clothes for the four-week adventure she was about to go on. After forty five minutes she took a break, sure she would grind a path into the wooden floors if she went on. Instead, she decided to take a look at her plan.

Tess had seven steps remaining:

Step 1: Beat Mitchie at final 3: Create a 5: Sell 1 hit record by the time I'm 7: Find something I 8: Learn to ----Step 9: Be 10: Apologize

How would she be able to accomplish any of these at Camp Rock? "That it!" She yelled aloud. Of course. She needed to go to Camp Rock! It was the only way to 'Beat Mitchie at Final Jam'. Things were all falling into place for Tess Tyler. She laid the list carefully at the bottom of her suitcase and continued picking out clothes for her trip.

-

"Hey, Tess, we're here." Shane's voice came through as he knocked at the door of Tess's apartment.

"Coming." Tess called and ran to the door of her apartment. She opened it to the sight of the original Connect 3, to Tess's pleasure missing Mitchie. "Hey guys, let me grab my suitcase." Tess retreated back into her bedroom, leaving the boys to sit wherever they pleased.

"Nice house." Nate said simply. He didn't talk much, Tess realized.

"Yeah, love the furniture." Shane smiled. "Funny we've never been here."

Jason gave a nod and grunt.

Tess emerged back from her bedroom, rolling her suitcase packed with clothes and other things behind her. She'd taken the liberty of bringing a few comfort objects and some entertainment. "Ready?"

"Of course." Jason smiled directly at Tess and turned on his heel, leading the pack out of the apartment. As Tess shut the door behind them, he noted. "You should lock that. We'll be out for a month."

Tess nodded and opened the door again, turned the lock inside, and shut it. Jason was... Always looking out for her, wasn't he? She caught up with the boys, running down her apartment buildings steps with quick feet. She looked up from her feet, and was hit with yet another feeling she hadn't felt in a long time.

There was a limo outside of her house.

Truly, she was very aware that she was, and really shouldn't have been, feeling and acting like a child. She drooled at the big car in front of her. It was fully black, nothing less for Connect... 4, and a chauffeur was holding the door open. Tess could hardly imagine being driven around by one of these all the time even if for a good portion of her life she lived the dream.

"You getting in?" Jason asked. Tess noticed that the band had already sat down inside the car, and she was just staring at it. She wiped her mouth and got in, the door closed behind her by the chauffeur.

"Tessie." TJ smiled at her daughter. It was most likely fake.

"Tessie!" Mitchie smiled at Tess. It was most definitely fake.

Fortunately, none of the boys continued the cycle. Instead, Shane opened the mini-fridge and offered everyone a soda. "It's a half-hour to the airport. You better take one, Tess."

-

It was quicker than Tess had thought possible, the time it took to get to Camp Rock in Connect 4's private jet. Though, the time was filled with Jason's strange stares, which Tess actually began to like, and Mitchie's dumb stories about her dumb life. Tess just kept seeing her and Shane's kiss over and over in her head, at some points giggling when Mitchie told about her love for Shane.

One way or the other, the group arrived at Camp Rock.

It was just like in 2008. Tess got out of the limo, which they had taken from the airport, first. Her hair waved in the wind, and she stoked her hand through it. Finally back.

Then the bird above her chirped and something that couldn't be the small, cute thing's mouth made a horrible noise. The glob of various things that Tess didn't want to identify fell through the sky and blended right into Tess's hair. A bird had just done it's business in Tess Tyler's hair.

Nate broke into a high giggle, and Shane made no secret of his amusement. "Are you okay?" He yelled, drawing the attention of many young campers walking near the limo. They began to laugh with Nate, and eventually drew even more young people, with a few counselors added into the mix.

"Nicely done, Tessie." Mitchie walked past Tess, smiling at the stunned woman. "You'd better clean that up. A quick dip in the lake should work. To bad it's kinda like bathing in your own filth. Well, that birdy's filth." Tess's rival laughed. "Come on, let's go sign in, Shane."

"Yeah, we'll wait for you at the cafeteria, Tess." Shane tried his best to stop laughing as he left with Mitchie, Nate not far behind the couple.

"Nothing to see here." Jason yelled, still behind Tess. She surely didn't expect that. Campers continued to point and laugh. "Back off!" Jason's voice raised, and the campers scattered away in different directions.

Away to tell their friends. Tess thought about it, her emotions taking control. Her first time back to Camp Rock, and she was a joke again within the first two minutes.

"Come on, let's go down to the Place." Jason pulled Tess's arm, leading her towards the East side of the lake.

-

Eventually, they made it to what looked like a trap door in the ground, surrounded by a ring of concrete.

"Where… Are we?" Tess was still stiff, making sure no stray globs would rub into her hair any more.

Jason lifted the trap door up before responding. "Connect 3 bought this place the first year you didn't make it, under wraps of course." He began to step down into the small cave, motioning for Tess to follow.

She followed him into the darkness, and sniffed. "Is that my hair, or is this the sewer?"

"Sorry, we had to put the hideout somewhere." Jason chuckled.

Tess grabbed onto Jason's arm and followed him for a while, and finally he made a different movement. Tess heard something click. Light flooded the sewer as Jason opened the door ahead of them to the mysterious room.

"Pretty cool, eh?" The two walked into the room, and Jason showed off his hideout.

It was amazing. Beautifully furnished with rugs and couches, the room had two refrigerators and a widescreen TV. Through a door which was open just a crack, Tess could see a toilet, sink, and shower.

"You can go in there and wash up." Jason said, pointing to the obvious bathroom. "Towels are under the sink."

"Thanks."

-

Tess washed the bird business out of her hair and got back into her clothes. As she grabbed the handle of the bathroom door, she noticed that the door was cracked at an angle which Jason could've seen through the mirror into the shower. Blushing, Tess hoped that wasn't the case.

"All done?" Jason asked.

"Yup." Tess looked at the Connect… 4 member. He was sitting on a couch, watching something on the TV. "Shane is waiting at the cafeteria, right?"

"Yeah, but we should stay here." Jason smiled, slapping the cushion next to him on the couch. "You're probably still a little shocked, aren't you?"

"We should probably…"

"No!" Jason's voice raised to a unnecessarily loud level. His face expressed shock, and he lowered his voice again. "You… You should probably stay here."

-

And Tess did. Every day for the next month of Camp Rock, after counseling was done by the two, Tess would make her way to the secret room with Jason. Every time, they were enjoying their stays even more. Enjoying each other even more.

Tess was on their way there one day, just leaving the camping area, when her arm was grabbed by someone. She grunted in shock, but smiled as Shane turned her to look at him.

"We haven't talked in a while." He said. "For real, I mean."

"Yeah." Tess wasn't as into him as much as she was last time they had 'really' talked.

"So I've been thinking about that night, you know…" Shane released his grip on Tess and kicked at the ground. "It was really great."

"Yeah." Tess found herself just wanting to go see Jason. Why was Shane even talking to her anyway? Why now?

"Look…" Shane seemed to be tearing up. "I broke up with Mitchie."

Tess snapped her face away from her stare into the distance. "What?"

"I know…" Shane looked down. "She's really… Just a jerk. Especially to you." He stared into Tess's eyes again. "That's why we broke up. I really care about you, Tess."

"This is going a little to far…" Tess whispered.

"I know, it's fast. That's why we shouldn't announce it yet. The buzz about me and Mitchie will be enough. We won't announce you and me yet." Shane frowned. He was obviously bothered. "If that's okay."

"Yeah, sure." Tess smiled. She had Shane wrapped around her finger, it seemed. Finally.

"Connect 4, we just need a new female singer."

"Me?" Tess asked. Jason was in that band too.

"Yup. Again, if that's okay."

Taking another thing from Mitchie. And Jason… No, this was about taking things from Mitchie for Tess. "Yes, of course."

"We'll premiere at the Beach Jam in three days. Practices are every day at seven, Auditorium V, you can find it on the map."

"Seven… Alright, I'll see you in a couple minutes." Tess said.

"You don't want to come with me?"

"There's something I need to do."

"Well, okay." Shane leaned in for their second kiss, and Tess didn't know what to do. She suddenly pulled back, pushing the boy away.

"See you… Uh… There, yeah." He ran off, embarrassed.

Tess had to admit, it was definitely a mess. Though, shaking her head, she decided to go to the secret room, break the news to Jason, and accompany him to the practice. Hopefully Shane wouldn't take it too badly.

Despite the situation, Tess Tyler had another thing to cross off of her plan list that night. Though she hadn't 'created a band', she was in one. Good enough for her. She giggled and headed towards the secret room.

And there goes another step. Long time since update, hopefully I can write more. Review if you can. Seeya - Ressficent