Hey! I'm back to my home sweet home! All of you are so lovely, giving me Christmas presents (in the form of reviews) before Christmas and after christmas is over. So Thank you to those people that take the time to review and make my day. Thank you to: Dancer4life15 for reviewing (im glad you can't get enough of my story! Thank you!) babii angel for faving, (your review was so funny thank you!) live-in-dreamland1 for reviewing (thank you for the idea) 711slurpeerocks for reviewing (im glad you loved that line! I was hoping it would come across as funny) truluc for faving, sugarshinebabyxo for alerting, faving and reviewing (the longest review I ever got. I hope the story can live up to your expectations, and thank you for your review!) rae328 for reviewing (thank you! Im glad you like it!) marchanna for alerting, elisabeth2me for reviewing (I know, mitchie's a little daredevil! Haha. Im so glad that you've liked pretty much all the chapters so far!) xmareedax for putting me on alert, tessa411 for reviewing (hope I didn't make you wait for this too long!) kkckat3 for faving, and alerting, burning-up-for-you-baby for alerting, faving, and reviewing (haha I hope this chapter is drama enough for you!) luckydog829 for alerting, and hanani03 for reviewing (im glad you liked it!)

Wow the thank yous get longer and longer (That's a good thing) I hope you like this chapter!

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

Chapter 12: Roped In

Marys POV

I half expected Ashton Kutcher to jump out from behind a tree and scream "You've been punk'd!" Of course, he didn't and I was still stuck in a large dying orange van sitting next to two lunatics.

"Both of you have lost it! I don't know where your brains have gone but I'm commanding you to get them back this instant and drive me home!" I half whispered and half shrieked.

"You're not going home until you sort things out with Nate!" Mitchie replied stubbornly, swinging the keys near enough for me to almost grab them. Too bad I couldn't pay for driving lessons.

"I'm not ready!' I replied. I knew I said I was going to sort things out with him just a few hours ago, but I didn't mean that instant, I didn't mean tonight. I banged my head against the window twice.

"Yes you are, Mary. Besides, you never know until you try." Tami tried to coax me as she pulled my head away from the window. I jerked back and sank into the seat, as low as I could go. "Don't go philosophical on me, Tami. Now is obviously not the time."

Tami sighed and leaned back too. "Now is the time. Nate is sorry. He is. You just wouldn't know because you didn't stick around long enough for him to explain. That was something someone else would do, not Mary."

I closed my eyes and tried counting to ten to calm myself. It didn't work. "If… if I just go in tonight, you'll stop bugging me about him?" I asked, trying to control my voice. Mitchie and Tami didn't reply for a heartbeat, they were probably too shocked.

"Yes… yes! Definitely… I mean maybe," Mitchie added the 'maybe' when Tami shot a glare at her. It was one of those don't-make-promises-you-can't-take-back glares. Tami used that glare a lot.

I groaned and stole a quick glance at the side mirror. The sidewalk wasn't too far from here. "Let's get this over with," I mumbled as I pushed the car door open. Quickly, I slid out of the seat and landed with my feet—for the first time ever—and made for the sidewalk.

"No you don't!" I heard Tami's voice screech and then suddenly Mitchie and Tami where at my heels, their arms pulling mine back as they steered me around towards the front door. How did they get to me so fast? It made me wonder how Nate and I managed to run away from the crazed fans for so long that time. Must have been the shoes.

I pulled at my arms, trying to free myself from their iron grip. "Have you guys been working out or something?" I panted when they finally managed to drag me to the front patio. Mitchie and Tami stood behind me, making sure I didn't run away. I was breathing heavily from my failed attempt at escaping.

Now Nate was going to have to explain to a sweaty and uncooperative girl like me. I brushed my hands off on my uniform—ugh I couldn't believe I was going to confront Nate in my maid uniform—and pressed the doorbell, shooting Sherlock and her devious new assistant a glare. They knew this one well. It was an I'll-get-you-later stare.

Shane was the one who opened the door. He was wearing dark denim jeans and a blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. "Mitchie?" He asked in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I'm breathing but I've prefer the air inside," Mitchie teased when she saw the shocked expression on Shane's face. Tami laughed and I was trying very hard to keep a straight face. If I had to act like a stubborn four year-old to escape, I would.

"Oh yeah I forgot to tell you they were coming over," Another voice—I assumed it was Jason said.

And then there was Jason standing behind Shane, beaming at Tami like he had just won the lottery. Guessing by the way they exchanged looks, it was kind of like he had. "Can we come in?" Mitchie asked and Shane nodded his head numbly, stepping back to let us in.

"Mary, Tami and you have already met me," Mitchie introduced us to Jason and Shane. Nate was nowhere in sight. I offered my hand for a handshake but the both of them engulfed me in a big hug. "It's nice to finally meet the girl that made Nate glow like a light bulb." Shane said. "He hasn't been that way since—" Jason nudged Shane hard and he stumbled a bit.

"Since?" I asked, waiting for him to finish his sentence. Maybe I could find out from him what had happened to Nate. "Nothing…" Shane said as he shifted uncomfortably.

"C'mon, let's go bird watching," Jason said as he grabbed Tami's arm and dragged her to the back of the house. I could tell that they wanted to avoid the subject so I played along.

"At night?" I asked. I was wrong when I thought Tami was the weirdest, either that or she had found someone on the same level of weird as her. Which was weirder.

"We're taking bird watching to a whole new level," Tami giggled back at me before she turned to follow Jason to the back. I heard the sound of a glass door sliding open and closing. Well, Tami was gone.

I sighed a bit to myself and started to rock back and forth on the balls of my feet. What was I going to say to Nate? "Where is that dunce anyway?" Mitchie asked Shane as Shane wrapped his arms around her shoulder. He turned his head towards the stairs and shouted up them, "Nate!"

I could feel my heart beat so fast I half expected to see it come thumping against my skin. I heard heavy footsteps down the stairs and then there was Nate, dressed in beach pants and a big baggy shirt—way too big for him—that read 'Do Not Read Me'. Geeky shirt.

"Mary?" he stammered when his eyes met mine. I smiled weakly and raised my hand feebly. "Nate." He bounded down the last few steps and stopped at the base of the stairs. "What are you doing here?" Apparently I wasn't the only one not informed about the ambushing.

"Being kidnapped by my best friends and yours," I answered simply. He nodded slowly. "That sounds like them." I almost smiled but suddenly Tess's face popped into my mind and I frowned instead.

Mitchie placed her hand on my back and pushed me a little bit forward so that I stumbled in Nate's direction. He held out his hands as they hovered near me, ready to catch me if I fell. It was like what he had done earlier that morning, before we were so rudely interrupted.

I cleared my throat longer than was necessary. My nerves were working overtime.

"Nate—" I started.

"Mary—"

"We need to talk," we both said at the same time, then laughed nervously. "Uh let's go up to my room, it's more private there," he whispered in my ear as he shot a nervous glance at Shane and Mitchie, who were grinning stupidly at us.

His warm breath sent shivers up my spine.

"Let's go." He turned around and raced up the stairs. I followed.

Tami's POV

I turned around to see Mary follow Nate up the stairs. That was a good sign, at least I didn't need to go in there and drag her up to Nate's bedroom myself. Things were working according to plan.

"Brilliant plan, from a brilliant mind," Jason said behind me. He had been trying so hard to compliment me every chance he got. I turned away from the door and bounded down the porch stairs to where he was.

"Yeah, I guess Mitch has a brilliant mind, 'cause I didn't come up with the plan," I said simply as I walked past him towards the pool.

"Oh…" He said slightly disappointed. I smiled slyly to myself I knew he was blushing and I was so glad I could get a guy to do that. A sentimental guy was hard to find these days.

Jason walked down stone steps set in the grass and he walked over to a big white hammock that seemed to glow from the soft light from the porch. I walked slowly, slipping out of my flipflops and brushing my feet along the stone, feeling the cold surface against my skin.

Jason sat down on the hammock and sat for a while, watching me as I walked over to the hammock and sat down on it. I hadn't so much as touched a hammock in a long time, so I didn't know how to shift my weight and ended up tumbling over onto Jason. Mitch and Mary were right, I was such a klutz.

"Sor… sorry," I stuttered to regain my balance. Jason shifted to the side and helped my lean back. It was a good thing it was so dark, or Jason would have seen me blush. I smiled weakly at him and looked up at the sky to the stars. They were so beautiful.

"Amazing right," Jason whispered, barely loud enough for me to hear. The sound of his voice was so soft and calming. I snuggled deeper into the hammock. "Yeah, I miss the stars. I could never see this when I was in California."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Jason turn to look at me, but I didn't turn to meet his eyes. "I'm… glad you came back." He breathed, I didn't think he meant for me to hear him say that.

I smiled and laid my head on his shoulder. The curve of his neck seemed just right for my head, like I was meant to do this.

"Jason?" I asked. "Hmm?" I could feel the vibration from his throat and I shivered. "Cold?" He asked me and placed his hand on my arm and ran it up and down, trying to warm me up. It took most of my energy to keep from shivering again.

"Jason, why do you always… seem like you're trying so hard to be different?" I asked. It seemed like every time I talked to him, there was something he wanted to say, but wouldn't and instead he would blurt out something stupid.

"I…I don't act like anything," he argued. I sat up and looked down at his face, but it was so dark I could only see the outline of his jaw. "You do. I don't know if other people notice it but… I do. Jason, you're always hiding something." I cocked my head. I guess old habits die hard.

Jason sat up too and sighed as he turned to look up at the stars. "It's complicated." I laughed. "With pop stars, pretty much everything is. I just want to spend time with the real Jason. Not the Jason that pretends he doesn't know everything. Because you do." I shrugged simply. "You just do."

It was silent for a while, except for the soft rustle of the leaves in the wind. The hammock shook slightly.

"You're the first person to ever tell me that." Jason said, breaking the silence. I almost heaved a sigh of relief that the moment of tension was broken. I lay back down on the hammock.

"You're the first person to ever make me want to say something like that." Jason shrugged. "It's a talent." I laughed. He seemed to want to change the subject, and I could take a hint. Besides, I didn't really want to ruin the thing, whatever that meant anyway, that we were having right now. I looked up at his face and unknowingly smiled.

"Hey, Jason?" He leaned over and brushed a lock of hair from my face. "Yes?"

"I'm glad I came back."

Mary's POV

I watched Nate walk down the hall, wondering whether I should follow him. Maybe, following him was a mistake. I peered down from the staircase and saw Mitchie and Shane snuggle on the couch. Both of them looked so happy, like they were glowing.

If I don't follow him, I could be making a mistake too. "Mary?" Nate turned around. For a moment he looked nervous, like he expected me to turn around and run out of the house. I almost did that, but it was that connection we had. It was like a gravitational pull and I felt myself following him.

There's no turning back now, Mary.

Nate walked to the last door at the end of the row of doors and opened it. I hesitated at the door frame before entering. If I stepped in, we really would have to thrash it out. Who knew what would happen then?

But for some reason, some weird, abnormal, unnerving reason, I trusted him. I stepped into the room and turned around, closing the door behind me.

Im sorry I had to end it at such a weird… part. I was planning for the chapter to be much longer but im already at page 6 on MS word! I know this isn't very drama, but I promise, it's going to get dramatic in the next chapter (hopefully)

Please review! They make my day!

Love love love

CauseimFearless