camp rock, why don't we ✔

chapter fourteen

"You and I wrote them when you were younger, and we used to hear them all the time. My managers ask me about you all the time. They want you, Jack. You can sing, write, and who knows what else. Imagine just how big you'd be." He furrowed his eyebrows. "For someone who acts like he's so cool twenty-four-seven you're really throwing me off here."

"Did you ever think me acting this way is all an act?" I asked, looking over at him again. "I get told daily, by everyone. My family, friends, you, everyone, about how I think I'm so cool. Talented. I've never officially talked about how talented I am, and maybe I have labeled myself as cool but I know I'm really not that cool. The more I get told I'm these things the more I'll act like them because it's what people already think of me so I might as well."

"So you've turned into this douchebag of a boy because that's what other people say you are?" He asked.

"Yes, uncle Brown!" I exclaimed. "If everyone found out I wrote those popular songs on the radio, I'd get twice as much as attention than I do now. I didn't ask for you to take them from my song journal and give them to your managers. I didn't ask for my family to come from money-filled families. I didn't ask for you to own this five-star camp along with all of the other businesses my parents own. None of it. I enjoy playing football, and now I'm even more popular. No matter what I do I'm seen as this douchebag, rich, snobby boy and I've lost my best friends due to it."

"Then maybe don't act like what other people label you to be. Be yourself, people will like you for you." He sent a small smile. I didn't expect to open up this much to him, although he and I did use to be super close when I was younger. "Hey, you going to the bonfire?"

"Yeah, right." I sarcastically replied out of habit, looking away from him.

"Alright, then. At least I got you to open up for a bit, helped me understand you a bit more. But go ahead and act cool, sit in here by yourself superstar. Be all by your lonesome, don't show everyone who the real Jack Avery is." He stood up, patting my shoulder before walking out of the cabin, leaving me alone.

****

"You're the last person I expected to see here," A voice caught my attention, and I turned to see Zach.

"Zach, hey," I mumbled. "You don't still happen to be mad at me do you?"

"I am," He spoke, causing my heart to drop. "But I can't dwell on it forever. You're my best friend, and although I'm still super mad about how you treated Phoebe and about how you've been acting, I'm not going to be rude to you. That'd just be stooping low, and I don't want that."

"I'm really sorry," I apologized.

"I want to believe you, Jack." He bit his lip. "But I can't say I do until I see a change. I don't want you to change yourself completely, or at all really. Just how you act. I've known you for years, you love singing and dancing and performing, why are you so against being here?"

I want to tell Zach, I want to tell him everything I told Brown and more, but I can't. He can't know that I've been living like someone I'm not for almost a year now. I don't want him to just tell me everything Brown told me. Telling me to change my act and actually being able to with all of this pressure are two different things.

"I don't know, Zach. But if you're around I won't be as rude or try to be such a downer." I mumbled.

"I wish that were good enough." Zach spoke. People were now quieter as different people performed on the stage that was in front of the giant bonfire. "Look, I can be civil, but with how things are right now between you and Daniel I can't be in the middle of it. Not again."