Disclaimer: I don't own Camp Rock. And I'm too lazy to come up with some witty sentence saying that I don't own it.
"Oh, my gosh, I can't believe we're here!" Mitchie exclaimed as we pulled up to the camp. SHe began bouncing in her seat, staring out the window. I laughed, and Mitchie turned back towards me.
"Thank you, Mom! Thank you, like, a million times!"
I had contacted Brown Cessario, the director of the camp, and explained my situation. I told him how my daughter was dying to come to this camp, and of all the expenses from the funeral and the bills. And then he'd offered me an instructing job here. Their normal voice instructor was on maternity leave. He'd even said that I could bring Katie along. Mitchie jumped out of the car before it had even stopped all the way and grabbed her suitcase, taking off down the path to her cabin.
I'll admit, while I wasn't exactly thrilled to be teaching again during the summer, the camp didn't look as bad as I'd thought it would be. Brown had arranged for me to stay with Katie and another counselor, and Mitchie would be in a different cabin with other girls her age.
Katie clung tightly to my hand like a life line as I wandered around, trying to find Brown. He'd said to find him as soon as we got there, but the director's cabin was proving difficult to find. Mitchie, on the other hand had no problem finding us as we explored.
"Mom! Mom!" She ran up, her cheeks flushed with excitement. "There are these two girls in my cabin, Rachel and Amanda, and they say that there's going to be a celebrity instructor this year!"
I know I shouldn't have, but I tuned her out as I continued to wander around the camp. By now, I was hopelessly lost, and Katie was insisting on being carried. I was vaguely aware of Mitchie telling me who her cabinmates thought the celebrity instructor was going to be, but I didn't catch their name.
"Did you know he went to this camp once?" Mitchie asked, tugging on my sleeve.
"That's great, Honey."
"What are you looking for?"
"The director's cabin."
"Oh, you mean Brown? His cabin is right there." Mitchie pointed to the cabin on our right. I sighed and smacked myself in the face. That was pathetic. Mitchie grinned at my expression as I led her over to the cabin and knocked on the door. The door creaked open, revealing a middle-aged man.
"Hello," he greeted, holding out his hand. "Brown Cessario. And you must be Michelle Zingale, our new vocal instructor!"
"That,s me," I smiled, shaking his hand. "And these are my daughters."
"Ah yes, Mitchie and Katie." Mitchie nodded, and Katie waved shyly, sticking her thumb in her mouth. Brown stepped aside and waved the three of us into the cabin so he could explain everything to me. As Brown explained the ground rules to me, Mitchie walked around the room in awe, staring at the guitars, with Katie trailing after her. I had just finished signing the contract when I heard the door open and close again, and I quickly looked up to make sure my daughters were still there. Sure enough, Mitchie had Katie's hand in hers, and they were examining signatures on a cherry-red electric guitar.
"Hey, Uncle Brown," A man's voice said from the doorway. I glanced at the person over my shoulder, and my eyes widened in disbelief. Brown and I stood at the same time; Brown so he could hug the man- his nephew, apparently- and me, debating whether or not I should grab my daughters and run. Too late, I decided to run, and the man's attention turned to me.
He whipped his sunglasses from his eyes and we stared at each other from across the room for a few moments. I was doing my best to pretend I didn't know him, hoping and praying with every fiber of my being that he didn't recognize me. Time and time again, fate had brought us together, and each time, it had ended in disaster. Maybe if I was able to keep my identity from him, I just might make it out alive this time. Fate wasn't so cruel that he would recognize me, right? Fate owed me this one little thing.
"Mitchie?"
Screw you, fate.