Enemies and Friends?
Mitchie POV
"Welcome to Camp Rock, poppet!" the man exclaimed. "My name is Brown Cessario, but everyone just calls me Brown. What is your name young lady?"
"M-M-Mitchie Torres, Monsieur." I replied timidly.
"There is no reason to be nervous Mitchie. I won't bite. And please don't call me sir," he shuddered, "it makes me feel so uncool, and I hate to be uncool. Please call me Brown." he told me politely. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and led me towards the cabins. He noticed my pillowcase full of my stuff. "Is that all you brought?" He asked me.
"Oui, mons-je veux dire Brown." I told him.
"Do you only speak french?" Brown asked me.
"Oui, depuis que j'ai quatre ans. Je parle encore et je comprends l'anglais et parfois je chante aussi en anglais." I told him.
"Why?"
"Je ne suis pas prêt à le dire à tout le monde encore."
"That's alright, just don't expect too many campers to understand what you're saying."
"Je ne m'attends pas à parler à beaucoup de toute façon. Avez-vous besoin d'aide dans le camp? Je suis très disposé à aider tout au long de l'été."
"Are you sure, because I am sure Connie would love some help in the kitchen?"
"Oui. Je fais la plupart des repas à la maison de toute façon."
"Alright I will introduce you to her after I get you settled in your cabin."
"Hey, Brown!' a girl yelled as she ran up to hug Brown. She had brown hair with curls, and a really bright outfit. "Who's this?" she asked.
"Mitchie this is Caitlyn Gellar. Caitlyn this is Mitchie Torres, she only speaks french but she understands english so feel free to talk in english. Caitlyn, why don't you show Mitchie around and get her settled into her cabin, then bring her back to me. I have some things I need to talk to her about. I warn you she is shy." Brown informed her.
"Well I guess it's good that I decided to take french instead of spanish. Come on, Mitchie! You can bunk with me and Lola!" Caitlyn exclaimed pulling me along behind her. We arrived at a cabin. "Welcome to Cabin Groove! It is right next to the head cabin where Brown stays, and he lets us do whatever, as long as it is before midnight. Come on, I'll introduce you to Lola." She pulled me inside where there was another girl unpacking her stuff onto a bed. "Mitchie this is Lola, Lola this is Mitchie, she is going to be bunking with us. Also she only speaks french, but understands english so feel free to speak in english"
"Hey, Mitchie! I am so glad I decided to take french with Caitlyn! Now we can talk and still understand each other! There are two other beds, take your pick." Lola said, gesturing to the two remaining beds in the cabin. Caitlyn flopped down on her bed. I walked over to the bed farthest from the other two that Lola and Caitlyn had taken up residence on, and placed my pillowcase on the bed and my guitar beside it. I grabbed my songbook and put it in my pocket.
"Caitlyn, pouvez-vous me ramener à Brown maintenant. Il doit encore me parler." I reminded Caitlyn.
"Oh, yeah. Come on." She jumped off her bed and we walked out of the cabin. As we walked towards the head cabin she noticed my book sticking out of my pocket. "What's that?" she asked, pointing at my book.
"C'est mon livre de chants. J'écris mes chansons ici." I told her.
"You write your own songs?! That is so cool!"
"Ils ne sont pas très bons."
"I'm sure they're great. Hey maybe you can sing one to me and Lola tonight before we go to bed."
"Peut-être."
"Yay! Hey can I mix one of your songs? I am a music producer."
"Si vous l'aimez alors oui sûr."
"Yay! We are going to be great friends I can already tell." We walked up the steps to the head cabin. I think I could actually become friends with Caitlyn. Maybe this won't be so bad. We entered Brown's office and I saw him sitting behind his desk, he looked up when we walked in.
"Wow, I'm surprised you didn't kidnap her longer Caitlyn." Brown jokes, not knowing my past. When I heard the word kidnapped, I tensed. Luckily, neither person in the room seemed to notice. I wasn't quite ready to tell them what happened when I was four.
"Yeah, well I wanted to, but she wouldn't let me." Caitlyn jokes along. "Well I am off to go prepare for Opening Jam. See you later Mitchie."
"Au revoir, Caitlyn." I waved as she left.
"Alright, lets go introduce you to our cook, Connie." Brown said, standing up and leading me out of the cabin towards the mess hall. We entered the mess hall and went back to the kitchen, where a middle aged woman was putting food and cooking supplies away.
"Connie, I want you to meet Mitchie Torres. Mitchie this is Connie, our lovely cook. Mitchie would like to help out in the kitchen during the summer. I know you need an extra pair of hands so I brought her to you. Now she only speaks french but she understands english perfectly." Brown informed the lady. She stood up and wiped her hands on a towel. She reached out and shook my hand.
"Oh, french was my favorite class in high school and college, I still speak it sometimes because it is a fun language. Nice to meet you Mitchie. I would love some help around the kitchen. I can show you the ropes right now. Do you have any cooking experience?" she asked me.
"Oui, je cuisine chaque repas chez moi. Depuis que j'ai six ans." I informed her.
"That's impressive Mitchie! Did your parents teach you how to cook?" Connie asked me.
"I'll leave you two ladies to chat." Brown said, leaving the kitchen. I didn't know how to reply to that. Do I tell her the truth or make up a story? I felt like I could trust her with the truth, or at least part of it. I had vowed not to tell anyone what my life has been like since I had been sold by my parents until I told my brother.
"Non, mes parents m'ont vendu quand j'avais 4 ans, me séparant de mon frère, mon meilleur ami. En fait, j'ai appris moi-même à cuisiner, juste essayer différentes choses. C'est pour ça que je ne parle qu'en Français maintenant. Je refuse de dire un mot en anglais jusqu'à ce que je sois réuni avec lui, mais je vais chanter en anglais, il est plus facile pour les gens de comprendre ce que je dis." I told her.
"Oh you poor thing." she said, pulling me into a hug.
"Il me manque tous les jours, et la seule chose qu'il me reste en plus des souvenirs est le médaillon qu'il m'a donné le jour de mon anniversaire, mais il a la clé donc je ne peux pas l'ouvrir."
"It is very beautiful." she said inspecting it. "What does the J stand for?"
"Jay ou Jason, mon frère et mon meilleur ami."
"Well shall we get started? We have to make something for Opening Jam, some kind of snack for the performance."
"Et mon mélange de collations?"
"What is in it?"
"Pas de noix, pour un. C'est un mélange de fruits, de craquelins et de petits bonbons."
"That sounds great. How do we make it?"
"Il suffit de couper quelques tranches de fruits, fruits secs fonctionne aussi, ajouter quelques mélanges snack, comme Cheez son, bretzels, Mix Chex, etc, et ajouter quelques petits bonbons, M&M's, Skittles, Starburst, Gobstoppers, etc."
"Simple, easy, delicious, and kind of healthy I love it. Let's get started." For the next hour, Connie and I cut up fruit and distributed the snacks and candies between bags. Connie also explained to me how this summer was going to work with me helping out in the kitchen.
When we finished making up the mixes we put the bags out in the serving area of the mess hall. Campers came flooding in and taking snack bags then filing out to the stage for Opening Jam. Connie and I talked while we cleaned up the kitchen and she told me she would see me at five for dinner preparations. I said goodbye to her and left the kitchen, heading for Opening Jam. I found Caitlyn and Lola and sat with them. Opening Jam was a lot of fun. Afterwards Caitlyn, Lola, and I were standing around talking when a blonde haired girl came up with two other girls following her.
"Hey Catherine, still don't have any fashion sense I see." she said snobbily.
"Still as blind as ever Tess." Caitlyn replied.
"Who are you to be talking to me like that?" Tess snarled.
"Les gars, arrêtez, s'il vous plaît." I begged. I hate it when people fight like this. I get it at home a lot, I don't need it at camp too.
"And just who are you, and why are you speaking in french?" Tess said as she turned to me.
"Her name is Mitchie Torres and she is a much better person than you will ever be. Mitchie, this is Tess Tyler, Peggy, and Ella. And she speaks in french because she wants too though she can understand english perfectly." Caitlyn informed me while still fighting with Tess. She leaned over and whispered to me, "she thinks she is the queen of this camp. Has ever since her first year."
"Torres, is your dad Nicki Torres the composer?" Peggy asked me. I didn't know what to say. I sure wasn't telling them my story like I did Connie. I guess I should lie.
"Non, il... possède un magasin de matériel." I said.
"Oh, that's lame." Tess said and started walking away. I wanted some more friends, at least for the summer, so what I said next I did without thinking.
"Mais ma mère est le Président de la plus grande station de musique en Chine." I blurted out.
"Like Hot Tunes TV in China?" Ella questioned me.
"Euh, oui c'est celui-là." I said.
"That is so cool." Caitlyn told me. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"J'ai dû l'avoir oublié. J'essaie de l'oublier et de vivre une vie normale." I added on to my already huge lie.
"Well there is an open bed in our cabin if you want it." Tess told me.
"C'est bon, je pense que je vais rester avec Caitlyn et Lola. J'ai déjà promis que je couchette avec eux." I told her.
"Ok, but if you ever want to hang…" Tess told me.
"Merci." I told her as she walked away. I saw the sun was setting by now and realised I needed to find out what time it was. "Hé Caitlyn, quelle heure est-il?" I asked my friend.
"Five o'clock, why?" she told me after looking at her watch.
"Je dois aller faire quelque chose, je vais vous dire ce soir." I called back to her as I ran towards the mess hall. I ran into the kitchen and washed my hands. "Désolé je suis en retard Connie, je me suis pris dans une conversation." I apologized to Connie.
"That is fine Mitchie. You can go ahead and start cutting up the vegetables for the stew." Connie told me. I dried my hands and cut the vegetables before mixing them into the stew. "Would you put the place settings out?" Connie asked me. I nodded, picked up the place settings, and walked into the mess hall. I noticed there was a piano sitting in the corner. After I had finished setting out the place settings, I went over to the piano and sat down. I pulled out my songbook and opened to the new song I had recently written. I played a few chords to figure out what I wanted this to sound like. Once I had figured out the melody, I started singing:
Do you know what it's like,
To feel so in the dark,
To dream about a life,
Where you're the shining star,
Even though it seems,
Like its too far away,
I have to believe,
In myself,
It's the only way.
This is real,
This is me,
I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now,
Gonna let the light,
Shine on me.
I finished singing. I wasn't finished writing it yet. I think this might be what I do for Final Jam, but I have another song that I am writing that I might do instead. Maybe Brown will let me do both. I sighed, picked up my songbook, and walked back into the kitchen.
Shane POV
I was done with this already and I was only two hours in. I refused to go to Opening Jam. I sat in my cabin sulking. I picked up my guitar and started strumming random notes. It turned into the music that I loved to play. The music that my label is making me play I really hate. It is the reason for my attitude, I am rebelling against the label, but they don't know that. I miss playing this kind of music. Maybe while I am here I will write some songs that follow our old sound. I got an idea and started to write. I finished writing and started writing music to go with it. Even if the label won't let us play our old sound, we can still play it for fun. I pulled out my phone and went outside to find some reception to call Nate.
"Nate Black," Nate answered the phone.
"Hey Nate, it's me. Come get me please. I can't stand it here." I told him.
"Nope, your attitude still is not fixed." Jason yelled into the phone.
"Come on guys please?" I begged.
"Just because you're being polite doesn't mean we have to do what you ask, Goodbye Shane, we will see you in a few months." Nate told me, and then he hung up. I sighed and walked around the corner of a cabin, which lucky for me, had a group of girls sitting on the steps. They screamed, and started to chase after me. I ran around the corner of the mess hall, tripped, fell into the bushes, and just stayed down. The girls came around the corner trying to figure out where I went. All of a sudden I heard a piano, and then the most beautiful voice I have ever heard.
Do you know what it's like,
To feel so in the dark,
To dream about a life,
Where you're the shining star,
Even though it seems,
Like its too far away,
I have to believe,
In myself,
It's the only way.
This is real,
This is me,
I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now,
Gonna let the light,
Shine on me.
She sounded so sad, but her voice was amazing. The girls finally ran off, and I got up and entered the mess hall, but no one was there.
"Hello?" I called. I walked over to the piano and hit a note. I looked around the mess hall again. Where did she go I thought. I have to find her. I walked out of the mess hall with a mission.
AN: Translation:
Monsieur - Sir
Oui, mons-je veux dire Brown - Yes, sir- I mean, Brown.
Oui, depuis que j'ai quatre ans. Je parle encore et je comprends l'anglais et parfois je chante aussi en anglais. - Yes, since I was four years old. I still speak and understand English and I also sing in English.
Je ne suis pas prêt à le dire à tout le monde encore - I'm not ready to tell anyone yet
Je ne m'attends pas à parler à beaucoup de toute façon. Avez-vous besoin d'aide dans le camp? Je suis très disposé à aider tout au long de l'été. - I don't expect to talk to much anyway. Do you need help in the camp? I am very willing to help throughout the summer.
Oui. Je fais la plupart des repas à la maison de toute façon - Yes. I make most meals at home anyway
Caitlyn, pouvez-vous me ramener à Brown maintenant. Il doit encore me parler - Caitlyn, can you take me back to Brown now. He still has to talk to me
C'est mon livre de chants. J'écris mes chansons ici. - It's my songbook. I write my songs here
Ils ne sont pas très bons - They are not very good
Si vous l'aimez alors oui sûr - If you like it then yes sure
Au revoir, Caitlyn - Goodbye, Caitlyn
Oui, je cuisine chaque repas chez moi. Depuis que j'ai six ans - Yes, I cook every meal at home. Since I was six years old
Non, mes parents m'ont vendu quand j'avais 4 ans, me séparant de mon frère, mon meilleur ami. En fait, j'ai appris moi-même à cuisiner, juste essayer différentes choses. C'est pour ça que je ne parle qu'en Français maintenant. Je refuse de dire un mot en anglais jusqu'à ce que je sois réuni avec lui, mais je vais chanter en anglais, il est plus facile pour les gens de comprendre ce que je dis. - No, my parents sold me when I was 4 years old, separating me from my brother, my best friend. In fact, I taught myself how to cook, just trying different things. That's why I only speak in French now. I refuse to say a word in English until I am reunited with him, but I will sing in English, it is easier for people to understand what I say.
Il me manque tous les jours, et la seule chose qu'il me reste en plus des souvenirs est le médaillon qu'il m'a donné le jour de mon anniversaire, mais il a la clé donc je ne peux pas l'ouvrir - I miss him every day, and the only thing I have left in addition to the memories is the medallion he gave me on my birthday, but he has the key so I can't open it
Jay ou Jason, mon frère et mon meilleur ami - Jay or Jason, my brother and my best friend.
Et mon mélange de collations ? - What about my snack mix?
Pas de noix, pour un. C'est un mélange de fruits, de craquelins et de petits bonbons - No nuts, for one. It's a mixture of fruit, crackers, and little sweets
Il suffit de couper quelques tranches de fruits, fruits secs fonctionne aussi, ajouter quelques mélanges snack, comme Cheez son, bretzels, Mix Chex, etc, et ajouter quelques petits bonbons, M&M's, Skittles, Starburst, Gobstoppers, etc. - Just cut a few slices of fruit, dried fruit also works, add some snack mixes, like Cheese-Its, pretzels, Chex Mix, etc., and add some small candies, M-M's, Skittles, Starburst, Gobstoppers, etc.
Les gars, arrêtez, s'il vous plaît. - Guys, please stop.
Non, il... possède un magasin de matériel. - No, he... owns a hardware store.
Mais ma mère est le Président de la plus grande station de musique en Chine. - But my mother is the president of the largest music station in China.
Euh, oui c'est celui-là - Uh, yes that's that one
J'ai dû l'avoir oublié. J'essaie de l'oublier et de vivre une vie normale - I must have forgot. I try to forget it and live a normal life
C'est bon, je pense que je vais rester avec Caitlyn et Lola. J'ai déjà promis que je couchette avec eux - I think I'm going to stay with Caitlyn and Lola. I've already promised that I'll sleep with them
Merci - Thanks
Hé Caitlyn, quelle heure est-il? Je dois aller faire quelque chose, je vais vous dire ce soir. Désolé je suis en retard Connie, je me suis pris dans une conversation - Hey Caitlyn, what time is it? I have to go do something, I'll tell you tonight. Sorry I'm late Connie, I got caught up in a conversation