Hey! I can't tell you how extremely busy I've been. Heads up, I'm going to be gone on a seven day vacation the day after tomorrow. I'll be gone for one whole week, sadly. Anyway, i'm going to try to post while im on vacation okay? I'm going to see if I can get internet connection there so I'm bringing my laptop with me. Thanks to the people that made me want to continue writing this story while I was feeling down today: live-in-dreamland1 (your reviews are so awesome! Im sorry I didn't put any Smitchie in, it didn't seem right to put it in this chapter. Did I mention you rock for reviewing so much?), .x for reviewing (it made me smile (: ) Elisabeth2me for reviewing (your review was enthusiastic! It was super nice to read!) batongirl for faving, tessa411( uhm to answer your not really a question but… haha. Tess actually said 'oh hey mary, didn't see you there' after she kissed Nate. So Nate got the name from Tess actually) JClayton for adding it to alert)

That's all the stuff I needa say thanks for! Enjoy (hopefully)

Disclaimer : I do not own Another Cinderella Story or Camp Rock.

Chapter 9: School

Marys POV

I didn't know where I was going to run to. This was school, where else could I go except class? I wiped away my tears and commanded myself to stop. He isn't worth it. He isn't worth it! I thought I was really good at controlling myself, I had spent all my life putting a stopper on my tears because I knew there was no point—no one would come to save me anyway.

Then, why? Why was I still crying? Why couldn't I stop? I pushed pass a bunch of people all staring at me as I made for the side door. I couldn't hear the footsteps or sounds of someone following me. Nate must have decided to leave me alone. He must have decided I really was worthless.

When I was in the corridor walking towards the bathroom I began to slow down. Everyone was still outside thronging around Connect Three, I could hear them. Good, that was good. I needed to be alone. Without Mitchie or Tami, just alone.

I pulled on the bathroom door and stepped inside, checking each stall for occupants. Empty. So all the girls in school really were hardcore Connect Three fans. I groaned and made for the sinks, pulling my shirt under the tap and brushed at the coke.

Nate's face kept on running through my mind. Mary! Mary! Was he really just taken by surprise by Tess? Then that picture died away and a new one, so real that I felt I could reach out and grab it, appeared.

Tess with her lips pressed on his, Tess with her arms wrapped around him. Nate with his arms wrapped around her. I stopped cleaning my shirt and leaned forward, gasping for air. I could feel tears start to resurface. I ran into a stall and locked the door behind me.

And then I remembered, I was slightly claustrophobic. If I stayed for a long time in a small secluded area like this, I would feel cramped and afraid… lifeless. But I couldn't go anywhere else. The bathroom was going to be a haven to me on the first day of school. Pathetic.

I slammed down the toilet cover and plopped myself on it, grabbed the roll of tissue paper and began crying, dabbing at my eyes as tears fell. It hurt so much to cry that I leaned over, hiccupping and gasping for air, but still crying.

I patted my pocket for a moment and felt the bulge of my inhaler there. Good. I was safe here. I was safe for now.

I just hope Nate isn't in my class.

Nate's POV

"Shane I need to get out of here." I panted as I ran up to him. Away, that's where I needed to go. Away.

"Shane!" I shouted. He was still hugging Mitchie and it seemed like they were glued together. Mary and I could have been that way. Shane pulled away and was about to scream at me—probably anyway—when he stopped and leaned forward.

"What is it Nate?" He asked me. "Have you been crying?" I rubbed at my eyes, which were probably rimmed red.

"No, but I sure as heck feel like my eyes are going to burst or something."

"What happened?" Mitchie asked as she turned to me. Her arms were still wrapped around Shane's waist.

"The mystery girl, that's what happened. Shane, I saw her. I met her."

"Mystery girl?" Mitchie asked evidently confused.

"Some girl he ran into yesterday and got all smitten with, like the way I got crazy about you," Shane told her, a smile playing on his lips. Mitchie giggled but turned back to me.

"But isn't it good that you met her? Why are you sad?" She asked, raising her eyebrows. "Unless she's someone you don't really like or something?"

I shook my head. "No, she was… amazing. When we looked at each other, just looked , it was… wow. Impossibly wow. I can't explain it. I've never felt this way before."

Shane nodded approvingly. "You got in deep, Nate."

"Who is she?" Mitchie asked.

"Mary." I answered.

Mitchie seemed to turn pale for a moment. Still as stone.

"Wait you got her name?" Shane asked.

"Not really… That's why I'm so angry!"

"Angry?" Mitchie asked. She seemed to be trying to control her tone. It was as if she knew something I didn't. "What happened?"

"Tess is what happened! I was going to get her name then, bam! Tess came, pulled me away and kissed me." Shane shook his head. "That girl has to seriously leave you alone." I rubbed my head, feeling blush creeping into my cheeks.

"I know… but I didn't exactly fight back." Mitchie and Shane glared at me for a moment, their eyes widening, mouths open as they took a step closer to me. "You what?" they screamed at me.

I raised up my hands in defense and whispered, "Quiet!" Mitchie and Shane looked around at the fan girls that were trailing behind us now, oblivious to our conversation. We nodded to each other and pushed through the front doors, walking like a tight bunch to prevent anyone from hearing us.

"She used to be my ex-girlfriend, Shane. I thought… I thought… I don't know what I thought! I was so confused. Mary was so different and new, and Tess was familiar. And I need that now, I need to know who likes me for who I am. I was afraid to invite someone in." I admitted.

Mitchie made a noise between a choke and a cry. "So you just let her kiss you in front of Mary?" She asked me. "I pulled away!" I defended. Mitchie slapped her head with her palm.

"What's wrong?" Shane asked, pulling on her hands as he wrapped his arm around her waist. "Where is Mary? Where is she?" Mitchie whispered fervently at me. Wow, I didn't think Mitchie would be so concerned about a total stranger.

"I don't know." I whispered back. "Why do you care?" Mitchie's face grew deep red and she pulled away from Shane. "Because she's my best friend you famous idiot!" I stepped back, hands up against Mitchie's sudden fierceness. Then something clicked in my brain.

"Please… please tell her that I need to see her again. I have to. And I'm sorry I didn't mean to kiss Tess. I just…I need to explain. I need to…" I trailed off, breathing heavily with exasperation as I pleaded with Mitchie.

"Mitchie please," Shane helped me, leaning down and pulling Mitchie into a hug. She sighed. "Fine, fine. But you have better come up with a better explanation the next time Nate, or you're not good enough for her."

I nodded solemnly. I felt a wave of relief wash over me as I watched Mitchie walk away.

Mary, I'm going to get you back.

I will.

Mitchie's POV

Tami, Tami, Tami. Where was that girl? I rolled my eyes. Whenever you didn't need her, she would come and irritate you until you wished you could live under a rock for your whole life. And when you needed her… well she was nowhere to be found.

I headed to the canteen, praying that Tami would be there. I would be in so much trouble if a teacher caught me and I was already stretching it. My lunch break would be over soon and I needed at least ten minutes to sneak back from the university to the high school unit.

I stood up straight and sucked in my cheeks, strutting towards the cafeteria, praying that I looked nineteen. Which was hard, since I was only sixteen. I sighed and puffed out my cheeks to normal. The things Tami and I did for Mary.

When I reached the canteen I peeked in. Oh man, there were way too many people there. I should have brought Shane, he could have acted as a distraction. I spotted Tami across the cafeteria….

Getting cozy in the arms of Jason? I pulled away and hid behind the door, peeking through the window. There was Tami, sitting next to Jason, feeding him. I grinned as I stepped back. So that was why she hadn't picked up her phone.

I sighed. I didn't want to do this. But Tami left me with no choice. I turned the volume on my phone up to maximum and choose the loudest song on my cellphone. It was heavy metal. I covered one ear with one hand, scrunched my eyes and stuck my hand inside the cafeteria.

I pressed play, and my cellphone started blasting loud music that echoed off the room. I was hoping that everyone would rush out then I would be able to grab Tami, because I knew she didn't care about these kind of things.

She liked living in her own kind of weird world. Instead—and I should have expected this since this was university—everyone started grabbing their bags or thrusting their hands into their pockets and pulled out their cellphones.

Figures. University was so weird. I stepped away and walked down the corridor, knowing that Tami would be calling me any second once she saw how many missed calls from me she got. Sure enough my cell phone started buzzing.

"Tami, we got a situation," I said as I snuck out the front door and ran across the parking lot to get to the high school unit.

"Wait, was that sickeningly loud ringtone from you? What were you doing in the university unit Mitchie?"

I paused for a moment when I turned around to check that no teacher had seen me.

"Mary problem." I proceeded to give her as much information as I knew, which wasn't much, but we managed to paste the puzzle pieces together.

"Oh no. But knowing Mary, she'll never ever listen to Nate." Tami said. I stepped into the high school unit and blended into the crowd as I walked over to my locker. "I know."

I opened my locker and glanced to my left and right. Mary wasn't there. Good. "Then… Nate doesn't stand a chance." Tami stated.

"He does! We have to help him," I argued.

"You are crazy Sherlock. What do you have in mind?" Tami laughed.

"This is what we have to do…"

Marys POV

The bell rang and I sighed with relief. I felt like I was holding my breath the whole day. The last lesson, music with Mr. Thompson, was done. I reached down and grabbed my bag, scooted out of my chair and ran to the door.

I glanced behind me as I stood at the doorway for a moment. Nate was sitting in the back of the class and he was staring at me. His eyes seemed to be pleading with me. Stay. I turned my head and walked out.

I wasn't going to allow myself to be the charity case. Not again, not at school. I walked over to my locker and was surprised to find that Mitchie wasn't there waiting for me. I ignored it and opened my locker.

Today wasn't so bad, minus the drenching with coke in the morning, the Nates'-affection-towards-Tess show where I got free tickets, my crying fit that became worse because I was claustrophobic in the stall, the asthma attack I almost had from crying…

Today was bad, I admitted. The only good thing was that Nate was only in my music class. The silver lining, I thought bitterly as I slammed the locker closed and wove in and out of the crowd in the corridor.

When I walked out the front doors I spotted the Great Pumpkin at foot of the steps. Some high school boys were making fun of it and Mitchie was holding Tami back as she attempted to lash out at them

I laughed. Suddenly, everything seemed to normal. So back to normal. Then I saw Tess's pink convertible pull up behind the Pumpkin and she winked at me. I felt my throat tighten and I walked down the steps, pulled the door open and slid in to sit in the middle.

Tami and Mitchie seemed to sense my bad mood because the slipped in after me, Tami glaring at the guys before she pulled away.

"How was school?" She asked casually.

"Guys… I need to tell you something," I started. It was high time I tell them about Nate.

"Oh, we know," Mitchie and Tami announced.

I nodded slowly. "Okay… I'm sorry for not telling you," They smiled. "It's perfectly alright Mary," Tami said.

She winked at Mitchie for a brief fleeting moment. I didn't think I was supposed to see it so I pretended I didn't.

"You can tell us though… again…" Tami said slowly as she shot Mitchie another strange look. Both of them were hiding something from me.

Definitely.

Was it nice? Hopefully? I was practically half dead while I wrote it haha. Anyone want to make a guess at what they do? Haha. Anyway please review! I love all my constant reviewers and my other reviewers that are becoming constant! If that makes sense....

Please Review! I will try to get up one more chapter tomorrow before I leave!

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