"NATE! CAITLYN!"
Nate and Caitlyn ran towards the Mess Hall, going through the kitchen door and hiding in the pantry.
"Who knew Brown used the loudspeaker to express his rage with?" Caitlyn asked, sitting beside Nate on the ground.
Nate smiled. "That way he can get henchmen to hunt us down," he replied.
"I missed this. You and me making havoc. But we need to dial it down, we're getting older and meant to be mature."
Nate nodded. "I was your idea but you're right. We should go and apologise before he bans me from coming over for Christmas," Nate grinned.
Caitlyn nudged his shoulder and he got up, helping her up too.
"Let's go, Curly head."
Nate laughed. "I shaved it all off so you have nothing on me, Gellar."
"I'll find something, Gray. Like, Baldy." she smirked, walking passed his humoured face.
They made their way outside towards Brown's office.
When they got there, they found that he was busy with someone with short black gold hair.
"Ah, my troublemakers!" he growled lightly. "I'll deal with you two later. But first, meet my new music producer teacher, Nat Fox."
Nate and Caitlyn's eyes widened as Caitlyn called out, "Nat?!"
...
"Caitlyn's a lesbian?!" Nate asked, storming into hers and Mitchie's room.
Mitchie shot up awake before glaring at Nate.
"What the hell?!"
Nate couldn't have gotten out of there quicker as soon as Nat went over to hug his best friend.
"What do you want?!"
"Nat is here!"
Mitchie's eyes lit up as she got out of her bed. "Nat's here? She's great! Come and meet her."
Nate's confusion grew as Mitchie led him out towards Brown's office again.
Caitlyn was still hugging Nat and jealousy ran through Nate's chest. She had never hugged him once during their time at camp.
"I just needed to see you, Caity-tiger."
That's what he called her!
"I missed you so much!" Caitlyn replied with a large smile.
Nate took the time to watch Nat and Mitchie and Caitlyn interact with each other and glanced at Nat.
She looked like a tomboy with her cropped short black, gold hair and her black tank top with ripped black jeans and worn out Converse. And she looked kind of pretty, he could begrudgingly admit.
Her green eyes landed on him.
"The notorious Nate Gray,"
"Nate Gray and you are?" Nate glared at her.
Nat laughed. "Thought I was introduced before. Probably wasn't listening due to my captivating looks, lover boy. I see the way you look at my girl."
He almost attacked her just for referring to his girl as hers. Why was he feeling so jealous all of a sudden?
"Nat, stop teasing, honey." Caitlyn blushed.
"Uh, Caity? Can we talk for a minute? About a song." Nate quickly said, dragging her towards his cabin.
Caitlyn pulled her arm back. "Wahey, slow down!"
"Sorry." he mumbled, noticing his PA coming out of the bathroom. "You. Out. Now."
Leon rolled his eyes and grabbed his laptop. "Is she your next target? Another one to add to the heap?"
"Choose your next words carefully, there. And meet Caitlyn Gellar, my best friend."
Leon's eyes widened. "Ah, the famous Caitlyn Gellar. I loved how you mixed Mitchie Torres' new album!"
"Oh, thanks! I think you better leave now before Gray loses his head." she giggled, waving the teenager out. "You should really be nice to your assistant! I heard you got through 7 in just three days."
"Sorry. I just... I get stressed lately but I'll be nicer, I promise."
Caitlyn was shocked. He actually listened to her. Maybe the media portrayed him more worse than he actually was.
"Talk. You wanted to talk?"
"Are you a lesbian? That was the Nat you were talking about, right?"
Caitlyn stayed silent before she burst out laughing. "No! Gosh, no! Although she doesn't look bad..."
"Oh. So she's not the Nat you were talking about?"
"No," she assured. "That was Nat Larkin. The boxer?"
Nate winced. Boy, he knew Nat Larkin all right.
"He broke up with me to go back home to England because his dad's dying and he was afraid that if we did the long-distance thing, I'll find someone else so he set me free. He's back in town for a fight and I wanted to see him. But I think that it's best that I texted you instead. I'm not so sure I want to get back together really."
"Why not?" Nate asked, sitting beside her on his bed.
Caitlyn turned to him. "It wouldn't be fair to continue living a lie. I never loved him. I used him to get over someone else."
"Who?" his breath hitched in his throat.
She didn't reply as she leaned closer to him, their eyes shutting close.
"Nate! My baby brother!"
They pulled apart as quickly as a cheetah and Nate forced a smile towards his eldest brother.
"Hey, Jason."
"And who have you got there? Another girlfriend?" Jason asked as he, Wendy and Kelly entered the cabin.
Caitlyn turned and grinned at Jason.
"Caitlyn!" he yelled, hugging her tightly.
"Hiya, Jasey-Poo!"
"You're so pretty! Your hair! I haven't introduced you guys to my wife, Wendy and our daughter, Kelly!"
Wendy sighed. "Take a breath, Jase."
"Nice to meet you!" Caitlyn smiled. "I have to go but I'll see you guys later,"
She got up and hugged Nate and Jason before leaving with a wave to the child in the room.
"Nate's got a little crush," Jason stated, sitting beside his brother.
Nate scoffed. "No, I haven't! We were just... playing Chinese Whispers."
"You hate that game and that was too intimate to be that."
"Seems like you were heading for a sweet kiss," Wendy added.
"Look guys, you don't know me. And you definitely don't know what's going on in my love life so just leave it, yeah?" Nate sighed, leaving.
Jason and Wendy just looked at each other before smiling.
He did have a crush on her.
...
"Nate? What are you doing here?"
Nate looked up and stared at his brother.
"Don't know. My legs brought me here," he replied.
Shane climbed up the rest of the steps of the ladder and sat a metre away from his younger brother.
"This could be the first time in ages where we haven't screamed at each other." he commented.
"Probably," Nate mumbled. "I've had a strange day. Not really in the mood to continue my vendetta against you."
Shane faced him. "Talk to me. We may hate each other but at the end of the day, we're brothers and we will always be stuck seeing each other at family gatherings no matter what."
Nate smiled despite his funk and leaned his head against the wall behind him, bringing his knees to his chest.
"Caitlyn's got me confused. I missed her and suddenly, I feel myself falling harder for her since the first time I saw her when we were thirteen."
"Damn," Shane mumbled.
"I thought she was a lesbian but it turns out that they were just friends and her friend shares the same name as her ex who is a famous boxer who threatened to kill me once when I scratched his car by accident and..."
Shane stayed silent, waiting for him to continue.
"Why am I even telling you this?" Nate sniffed, looking away. "You're probably thinking that I'll break her heart like I did when I went off with Dana."
"I'm in no position to judge, bro. I dumped Mitchie on our third anniversary in Paris then dyed Caitlyn's hair green the day before her sister's wedding."
Nate's eyes widened in shock. "I guess we're really Grays. Who knew that we would end up like Dad? Seems like Jase had a lucky escape being the innocent one out of us. But then again, he got married to a girl who's practically a stripper and got her knocked up."
"You noticed that too?" Shane smirked. "There I thought I was the only one who hated Wendy. What kind of name is Wendy anyway?"
Nate laughed. "I missed this, stupid."
"Missed this too, jerk."
Shane stood up.
"You gonna be all right?"
Nate nodded. "Go and annoy Brown or someone and tell him I take the blame for the prank. Caitlyn deserves a break from discipline. Did you hear what she did to Taylor Swift?"
"Oh, yeah. That was awesome. Thank God for ex-friends. Ever since I broke up with Taylor she became a complete freak."
"See ya,"
Shane nodded and climbed down the ladder. Nate down, two more to go.