camp rock, why don't we ✔

chapter seventeen

Alice then left for a moment, leaving us two in an awkward silence. She came back with a tray in her hands, showing us some cookies with records on them. "Does this look like a record?" She questioned, holding them out to us.

"Like the vintage ones that lots of older parents and all have?" Jonah asked. "Those are dope."

"Yes those, I'm glad you knew what I was talking about." Alice smiled at Jonah, who smiled a little cute smile and looked down at the table in front of him. "I just want them to look good and authentic next to my eighth note cupcakes."

"Everything looks great, you're doing amazing." I complimented, smiling at her.

"Thank you, Christina!" She smiled at me. "Also, I'm going to leave you three to it so I can get other preparations done before the event tonight. Thank you so much again for helping, Jonah."

"Of course, more time to spend with Mitch," He spoke, and I watched as Mitchie blushed and looked at the balloons in front of her.

Alice then walked away with the biggest smile on her face, leaving us three in silence.

"I'm gonna go get us something to drink, what do you want?" Jonah began to stand up. He looked to Mitchie, and she whispered a reply before he looked to me. "And you, Christina?"

"Just water would work, thank you." I smiled at the boy, and he tapped his knuckles on the table once before walking out of the cabin, leaving just Mitchie and I alone.

We both began to work on the balloons, me filling them up with helium while she did them manually.

"So, are you signing up for Final Jam?" She asked, breaking the awkward silence. "I know it's at least a month away but it's still nice to know early."

"Yeah, I actually was." I looked up at her, before back at the balloons in front of me.

"So..." She trailed. "What are you thinking about doing?"

"This is freaking me out, to be honest." I tied the balloon. "Why are we talking exactly?"

She sighed, resting her hands on the table in front of her. "I don't know, I just guess making small talk-" The balloon then popped, causing the both of us to jump. "Or maybe I was setting you up for that, who knows."

I then popped the balloon in my hand and we both laughed, loud obnoxious laughs that we probably wouldn't want the world to hear. The laughter died down, and I decided to bring up the events from a few days ago.

"So, thanks for the other day and all, but-"

"Don't mention it. I always stick up for my friends. It's sad I can't really do the same for myself, but when it comes to my friends I'm the first to step up." Mitchie looked down, messing with some of the flat balloons on the table.

"Being friends with Heather's fun," I partially lied.

"How do you know?" She asked, looking up at me.

"Believe it or not, her and I used to be friends. We go to the same school together," I began to explain.

"That sounds impossible. What happened though?" She asked.

"We were best friends, then my parents split up and so I had to switch back and forth from my mother's house to my father's house. It was back when it wasn't okay to have split parents, and she didn't like that. So she split herself, and eventually began to hate me," I said.

"Oh wow," She mumbled.

"There's a little more to it though, she doesn't like competition, sans the fake snake thing at pajama jam. She also felt that I was kind of a competition because she can only sing and do a little bit of dancing. I sing a little bit and play lots of instruments. She thinks that there can only be one star - herself," I continued. "I know what it feels like to be friends with her, she's popular and can make you feel important and popular yourself - but so what? What does either of those things do for you when you really aren't that important to her."

"Being popular is not really a so what when you get lots of attention. I mean, it's really important to Aubrey." Mitchie shrugged.

"I mean yeah, it's the perk and there are a few other perks. Like singing backup, never getting to say how you really feel and let's not forget those super short tacky outfits!" I sarcastically said.

"On a real note though, I do want to tell you about the whole lie thing," Mitchie's tone was suddenly super serious, and she messed with the blown-up balloon in her hands. I watched as she tied it, throwing it into the tub we were supposed to put them.

"Okay," I quietly spoke, actually giving her a chance to explain this time.

"Aubrey has been telling everyone my mother's a super-rich chef in China or something. And I know, it's bad and I shouldn't let her say something like that, but I don't know what to do." She mumbled." I don't like lying, I hate it. If I had to choose I wouldn't do it."

"You shouldn't have to live behind a huge lie," I said.

"I know. I don't want to," She muttered.

"But she has to," Another voice spoke up, and we looked to see Jonah standing at the edge of the table. "So many people were trying to get drinks, it was such a long line, that's why it took so long." He sat back in his spot next to Mitchie, handing us our drinks.

"So you knew?" I asked, looking at the boy.

"Yes, Mitchie told me. Basically she's tried to get Aubrey to stop - and so have I, but she's manipulating Mitchie into continuing to be in the group and the lie." Jonah explained for Mitchie.

"That's so crappy. You shouldn't have to deal with that." I looked to Mitchie.

"Speaking of, I have to go practice. We're practicing for Final Jam, then for the other bonfire jam we're having coming up." Mitchie stood up. "Sorry to leave on such short notice."

"Don't mention it, the queen awaits," I jokingly said, and she sent a soft smile before walking out of the kitchen.

"So you two are good now then?" Jonah asked me, continuing to stay and help with the balloons.

"Yeah, guess so. I was kind of rude to her without letting her explain. She tried to say it wasn't her but I thought she was lying." I put helium in the balloon, tying it after.

"Understandable. You figured out her life is basically a lie, so it's understandable you wouldn't believe the actual truth at first," He said.

"So guess that makes you and me her only new real friends at camp, huh?" I questioned, and he sent a soft smile.

"Yeah, you're right."

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this is kinda short and ended weird, sorry :(

edited: september 12th, 2019