Let me just say that I am in love with college and I never want to leave. My roommates rock, and I'm already making new friends. I've never been happier. I am so sorry it took me a good while to update, compared to how quickly I'd been updating. But I am having a very hard time finding time to write. I'm going to try to write another chapter this weekend, but I can't promise anything. I have so much homework to do. Please just hang in there, guys. I'm trying.

Disclaimer: I do not own Wizards of Waverly Place or Camp Rock. I do not own Paramore or "Crushcrushcrush."

"Can I use your bathroom?" Justin asked Mitchie timidly the next day. He had his knees pressed together and looked like he was very uncomfortable.

"Sure," she said, flicking her brown bangs out of her eyes. They were getting a little too long. "It's down the hall, first door to the right. The door should be open."

"Yeah, it's the one with the toilet, in case you were wondering," Alex said sarcastically.

Mitchie stifled a giggle as Justin shot his sister a glare.

"Thank you," he said quickly before standing up and crossing the room. When he walked, he hardly separated his legs. He almost tripped over his own feet three times before he made it to the doorway leading to the hall.

"What's with him?" Mitchie asked Alex, gesturing towards where Justin departed with her pencil.

"Oh, he hates using other people's bathrooms," she replied. "One time he spent the night at his friend Zeke's house and came home at six thirty in the morning because he had to go so badly."

"And what does he have against other people's bathrooms?"

"I don't know," Alex shrugged. "I think he might be afraid of germs or something, which is stupid because he and I both share a bathroom with Max, and he's gross! But at least our germs are all related. Then again, it might not be a germ issue at all. It might be that he's uncomfortable peeing in a strange place. I have no idea. And I don't care enough to ask him. All I know is he must have been pretty desperate to go here."

Mitchie looked at Alex, blinking every few moments. "Well okay then." She broke eye contact and looked down at the page Justin had been explaining before his bathroom break.

The silence bothered Alex. She hated it. "Do you have any plans tonight?" she asked. She'd been trying to get up the nerve to ask all morning, but with Justin in the room, she knew she couldn't. He wouldn't want Alex even thinking about hanging out with Mitchie. He would cause a big fuss about the whole thing. So she had to do this quickly, while Justin was still in the bathroom.

"Uh, no," Mitchie said, looking back up at Alex. "I don't know anyone here, except you and your brother, so I don't have anyone to make plans with. Why do you ask?"

"Well, my friend Harper is going to a sewing convention this weekend," Alex started.

"They have sewing conventions?" Mitchie interrupted, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, I know, it's weird. Anyway," Alex hurried to continue, "I was wondering, since she's going to be out of town, if you'd like to go see a movie tonight…With me."

Mitchie bit her lip, considering. "I don't know, Alex…"

"It's Friday, so it's not a school night," Alex said quickly. "And I made a deal with my dad that I don't have to work tonight if I work all day tomorrow. He was so happy with me because I did all that homework yesterday that when I asked him this morning, he agreed right away. And my parents like you, so they'd most likely let me go with you."

"Your parents like me?" Mitchie asked. "They don't even know me."

"I'm aware, but you got me to do work," Alex said. "And that never happens. They think you're a good influence on me."

Mitchie bit her lip again. As much as Alex's parents liked her, she knew her own mother was skeptical of Alex. Just yesterday she'd said she didn't like Mitchie's new classmate. The Russos may have thought Mitchie was a good influence on Alex, but Mitchie's mom was certain that Alex would be a terrible influence on Mitchie.

"Are you just asking me because the only way you can go is with me?" Mitchie asked. "Or because Harper can't go? Am I your backup plan or something?"

"No!" Alex shook her head. "Mitchie, even if Harper was going to be in town, I'd still want to go to the movies with you. I genuinely enjoy your company. I want to spend time with you." She gave Mitchie a soft look, which she hoped showed the other girl that she was being honest. "I'd like to get to know you better, with no books, homework, or Justin. What do you say?"

The singer considered. She really wanted to say yes. She enjoyed spending time with Alex as well. Being alone with her, as scary as it had been at first, felt natural. Once she got past the paranoid thought that Alex was reading her mind, Mitchie found herself drawn in by the other girl's dark eyes. Unexplainable as it was, it was true.

"I'll ask my parents," Mitchie finally said. "But I can't promise anything. They're pretty strict."

"Well, when you do ask them, here's my number so you can contact me and tell me their answer," Alex said, writing the digits on a corner of her notebook paper and ripping it off. She handed it to Mitchie.

"Thanks," Mitchie said, reaching for the paper.

When their fingers brushed, Alex reveled in the softness of Mitchie's hands. They were the softest she'd ever felt. Mitchie glanced down at her hand when she felt Alex's fingertips come in contact with hers. They were so warm and smooth. She could feel heat flooding her cheeks as she looked up and made eye contact with Alex yet again.

Mitchie quickly pulled her hand away and shoved the phone number into her pocket when she heard the bathroom door open. She noticed that Alex shifted her chair a little farther away and sat up straighter.

"Well I feel so much better," Justin said, sitting down again. "Thanks again."

"Don't mention it." Mitchie rested her cheek on her palm, her fingers threading through her hair behind her ear.

"Did you flush?" Alex asked.

Justin's face went red. Why did his sister have to be so embarrassing? "Yes, Alex. I flushed. Didn't you hear?"

"No. I was…" Her eyes flashed to Mitchie, then back to her brother. "Preoccupied." She cleared her throat. "Did you wash your hands?"

"Yes, I washed my hands. Gosh, why do you care?" Justin thrust his hands in his sister's face. "Here, do you want to smell them?"

Alex shoved his hands away. "Ew. No!"

"Alright then."

"So, science…" Mitchie said, trying to change the subject.

"Are you going to say one of those lines every time something you find awkward happens?" Alex asked.

Mitchie nodded. "Pretty much."

"If you want, I can maybe help you to memorize some spells after work tonight," Justin said to Alex on the way home. They were once again stuck in traffic because he insisted on taking the car. "I know you don't have a wand, but you can still memorize. That way, when Dad decides to get you a new wand, all you have to do is practice. And maybe, if you're good, I'll let you use my wand. How does that sound?"

Justin received no response from his sister, who was busy staring out the window, lost in her own thoughts.

"Alex," Justin said, trying to get her attention.

"Hmm?" Alex turned to her brother. Her eyes were glassed over almost like she'd been falling asleep. It was clear her mind was elsewhere.

"Did you hear anything I said?"

"Nope," Alex said simply.

Her brother sighed, slightly annoyed. "I said I could possibly help you to memorize some spells and let you use my wand to practice so you don't fall behind on your wizard lessons until Dad lets you have another wand. We could start tonight if I don't have to work too late."

"No thanks," Alex said, looking out the window again.

"Why not?" Justin asked. "It's not like you have anything better to do."

"Actually, Dad's letting me go to the movies," Alex responded. She turned to look at her brother again.

Justin glanced at Alex as he took his foot off the brake to move the car up a little. At this rate, they'd be home in an hour. And they only lived a twenty minute's walk away, ten by subway−if the train was on time and they didn't have to wait for it. Maybe Alex was right about the car being a waste of time.

"And why is he letting you go?" Justin asked. "I thought you were on lock down."

"I thought so too, but he was so impressed with my work, he agreed to let me go." She shrugged. "I guess it's like getting time off for good behavior."

"Who are you gonna go with?" He frowned. "Harper's in New Jersey for that stupid sewing convention. And it's not like you have any other friends."

"For your information, I have friends," Alex defended, even though that was pretty much a lie. Harper really was her only friend. Maybe she should stop teasing Justin so much, considering she was just as pathetic as him when it came to friends… Wait, Alex Russo, pathetic? No way! She didn't have more friends because she didn't want any. Justin didn't have friends because they didn't want him. There was a difference. "And it's none of your business."

Alex sat there quietly, aware of Justin's suspicious gaze on her.

"NO!" He yelled quite suddenly, causing his sister to jump. "Absolutely not!"

"Absolutely not what?" She yelled back, already getting angry.

"You are not hanging out with Mitchie!" He shook his head. "No. I forbid it!"

"You can't forbid it!" she spat at him. "You're not my parent, so you can't tell me what to do! Besides, Dad already told me I can go. He wants me to go. He thinks Mitchie is a good influence on me. So don't even try to talk him out of letting me, because it's not going to do any good!"

"Alex, I will not stand by and let you corrupt innocent, little Mitchie."

"Innocent? She's pregnant! She's not that innocent, obviously! And what the hell...Corrupt?" Alex was fuming. "Just what do you mean by that?"

"It's obvious what you're trying to do," Justin said through clenched teeth.

"And that's that?" Alex crossed her arms over her chest.

"Mitchie is vulnerable right now. And she's cute," he said. "You're trying to use that to your advantage. You're going to try to make her fall for you, and then get her to sleep with you. After all, she must be easy. She's pregnant, right? I know that's what you're thinking!" He pointed a finger in her face. "And then once you get what you want from her, you're going to dump her and be on your merry way. Well, I'm not going to let it happen! No way in hell!"

Alex stared at him blankly for a few moments. "You really are an idiot, aren't you?" She shook her head. "Is that what you think of me?"

"Yes…"

"My God, Justin!" She glared at him. "I'm not a whore! And I'm sure as hell not a womanizer! I don't know where you even came up with that! Jeez… I've only ever kissed one girl! And I didn't sleep with her! I'm a virgin!" Justin winced at the last word. Hearing his sister use those words just sounded icky. "In case you haven't noticed, I like being in relationships. So I'm not looking for someone to use, I'm looking for a relationship. And I'm not looking for that in Mitchie. We're on our way to becoming friends. I care about her. I would never use her. And she's just a friend, nothing more. She's having a baby, for crying out loud! Even I was interested, she wouldn't be!"

Justin stayed silent, his hands clutching the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were turning white.

"For someone who's supposed to be so smart, you're really stupid," Alex said. "And you're an ass." She unbuckled her seatbelt and snatched her backpack from the back seat. She opened her door, careful not to hit the car on the side of Justin's, and planted her feet on the pavement.

"Where are you going?" Justin asked.

"I'm walking home. It'll be a lot faster, and I've got to get home to get ready for my date," she said, somewhat mocking. "Besides, I don't want to talk to you anymore. You piss me off." She slammed the door and shot her brother one last glare before starting to make her way through the maze of cars.

Justin rolled his window down and stuck his head out. "Alex, you get back here!"

"Shut up!" A driver yelled from his car.

Alex's laugh rang out from somewhere ahead in traffic. "Yeah, shut up, Justin!"

"At least get on the sidewalk and out of traffic!" He called out. A car honked at him and the lady on the side of him flipped him off. "Fine," he grumbled, pulling his head back in the vehicle and rolling his window back up.

"Hi, Daddy," Mitchie said cheerily, wrapping her arms around her father's waist as he opened the front door. She was glad her mother had to work the late shift at the restaurant tonight. That meant she could ask her father for permission to go to the movies alone, without her mother around to butt in. Her dad was so much easier to get to agree to things.

"Hello to you, too, Mitchie," Steve said, smiling a little. "What do you want?" he asked amusedly.

"What makes you think I want something?" She gave him a pout. "Can't a girl just be happy to see her father?"

He blinked a few times, looking at her. "Mitchie."

"You're good." She laughed nervously. "Uh, I was wondering if I could go to the movies tonight."

"With whom?" Steve raised his eyebrows at his daughter.

"Alex."

"Justin's sister?"

Mitchie nodded. "Yeah. I know you don't know her, but she could come over before and you could meet her. And she's lived in the city her whole life, so she knows the safest way to get around. And I've already finished all my work for the weekend. Did I mention it's not a school night?"

"Slow down, kiddo." Steve laughed. "Take a breath."

Mitchie smiled and took two deep breaths, letting them out slowly, to humor her father. "Please let me go, Dad. I've been stuck in this apartment all week with nothing to do. And Alex is really cool. She's not as bad as she seems like she would be." She paused. "Please?" she asked again.

Steve looked at his daughter. She had so much hope and desperation in her eyes. He could tell this was really important to her. But he also knew how his wife felt about this Alex girl. But, she'd never actually met her. Mitchie had. And Mitchie was always a pretty good judge of character. Except for that Shawn kid… Steve still wanted to make sure the baby in his daughter's stomach was the last child that infuriating boy ever fathered.

Should he let Mitchie go out in her condition? What if something happened? He would never forgive himself. Then again, once the baby came, Mitchie wouldn't be able to go out to the movies like a normal kid. This could be her last chance to enjoy her childhood. How could he take that away from her?

"Do you promise to have your cell on the entire time? Even in the movies?" He asked.

"Absolutely!" Mitchie nodded quickly.

Steve let out a sigh. "Then I guess it'd be okay. Just make sure you're not back too late. It may not be a school night, but this is New York City. It's dangerous out there. And I do want to meet Alex, so tell her to come by before you leave."

Mitchie beamed and threw her arms around her father. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

As soon as Alex arrived home, she went straight up to her room and opened one of her spell books. Justin was right. Without practice, she would get rusty. She could hardly remember how to do even the simplest spell. It was like she was reading Greek or something.

She figured she had nothing better to do while waiting for Mitchie to call, so she busied herself by memorizing spells.

However, she could not concentrate. Her mind kept wandering to the brunette whose phone call she was waiting on. Earlier in the car with Justin, she couldn't keep her mind off the other girl either. She couldn't help feeling anxious about possibly going to the movies with Mitchie. She was getting her hopes up. After all, Mitchie said her parents were strict. So they probably wouldn't allow her to go, especially not with Alex, who did things so bad they made the news.

But Alex was still excited. Every time the thought of hanging out with Mitchie, just the two of them, crossed her mind, she got butterflies in her stomach. Mitchie certainly was puzzling. The first day they met, Alex was so sure the other girl hated her. But then she said she didn't, she was just scared. Was Alex really that intimidating? Mitchie had seemed hesitant to even ask her parents about the movies, after all. Then again, that could be chalked up to doubting them saying yes.

Alex couldn't deny that she was attracted to Mitchie, that's for sure. Everything about her was just so adorable. And if it wasn't for that baby bump that was so blatantly obvious, she might consider pursuing a relationship with her. But she knew even thinking about it if Mitchie was going to have a baby was a terribly stupid idea. Thinking back, she remembered Justin once saying he hadn't even noticed the largeness of Mitchie's stomach until she told him she was expecting. She was right about Justin being an idiot, then, because you'd have to be blind not to see it!

If she had to be pregnant, why couldn't she at least have been ugly? A unibrow or snaggletooth would have made it much harder to think she was precious. But noooo. Mitchie had to be drop-dead gorgeous. Those big, brown eyes were killing Alex with every bat of the eyelash.

But Alex would not let herself fall. She promised everyone she wouldn't, especially herself. So she would keep it casual. She wouldn't even open the door for Mitchie, like she usually did for girls she thought were cute. And instead of splurging for a cab, if Mitchie could go out tonight, they would be taking the subway. And no sappy chick flick for them to cry over or horror movie for Mitchie to cling to her in. They were going to see the stupidest, most mind-numbing movie that was playing.

This night would be nothing like a date. It would just be two friends hanging out. Nothing more. Completely casual. And maybe by keeping it that way, Alex would be able to keep her feelings for Mitchie platonic, like she'd intended from the beginning.

Yeah, that was the plan. It would work. It had to. Alex Russo's plans always worked. With the exception of the smoking thing… But the one about homeschooling was going pretty well so far. Yeah. Her plans were great. She had nothing to worry about.

With her mind at ease, Alex cracked open her spell book again, which she'd closed some time while she got lost in her own thoughts. Who needs a love life when you've got a chapter of spells to memorize?

"Nothing compares to a quiet evening at home."

Alex jumped so quickly from her chair that her spell book flew several feet away and slid under her bed. Disoriented, Alex looked around until she located her phone atop her dresser, lit up and nearly vibrating itself over the edge while one of her favorite Paramore songs blared from the tiny device.

"Hello?" Alex answered, stifling a yawn.

"Alex?" A familiar, somewhat musical voice answered.

Alex took the phone away from her ear and looked at the caller I.D. It was an unknown caller. "Mitchie?" She asked when she returned the phone to her ear.

"That's me." The singer smiled. "Did I wake you? You sound like you were sleeping…"

"Just a little cat nap," Alex said, stretching with a pleased smile on her face. "So, uh, what's up?" She asked, looking around to see where her spell book went.

"You invited me to the movies, remember?" Mitchie sounded worried. Had Alex forgotten all about their plans?

"Yes, I do remember." Alex got down on her knees and looked under her bed. Aha. "Did you talk to your parents?" She reached her arm into the darkness, trying to catch her book.

"I did."

Alex reached some more as she waited for an answer. "Well are you going to tell me?"

Mitchie laughed nervously. "Oh yeah, that would be nice, huh?"

"Just a little." Alex grunted as she stretched her arm out further.

"My dad said it would be okay as long as I'm not back too late."

Alex's hand hit the hard corner of her book. She closed her fingers around the edge. "Gotcha!" She yelled, smiling widely and pulling her book out.

Mitchie jumped slightly. "I'm sorry?" she asked, not understanding Alex's outburst.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing." She blew some dust off the spine. "So they said yes, huh? Great. What time is it right now?"

There was a pause where Alex assumed Mitchie was checking the time. "It's 5:45," she said.

"Great." Alex stood up and tossed the spell book on her bed. "I'll come by around 7." She then remembered that she wasn't trying to impress Mitchie, that this was a very casual thing. She didn't need to look her best if she was just going out with a friend that really didn't care how she looked. "On second thought, I'll be there for 6:45. I don't need too much time to get ready."

"Okay. I'll see you then."

"Yes you will." Alex flipped her phone closed, ending the call. It wasn't until she looked in the mirror to check her appearance that she noticed that not only was she covered in dust from digging under her bed, but she also had a huge smile stretched across her face.

She quickly made herself drop the grin. She didn't need to be that happy about going to the movies with a friend. Heck, in movies you barely even get to hang out. You go, you sit down in a dark theater, you watch a movie (which you can't talk during), and then you leave and go home. No big deal. It's not like she was going to be cuddling or holding hands with anyone. It was just Mitchie. And she was just a friend.

"You hear that, Alex?" She asked her reflection. "Mitchie's a friend. Just a friend."

Alex listened to her external voice and seemed to convince herself, but as she started changing into something clean, she couldn't get that little internal voice to shut up, to stop saying, "No she's not."

Review, my beautiful readers. The internet and I had an epic war over this chapter. I lost sleep over it. Appreciate.