Camp Rock 2 (7 page)

S
itting on the Camp Rock beach at night with her best friends around the fire pit, listening to Nate strum his guitar, was normally one of Mitchie's favorite things to do.

But not tonight. Tonight the mood was somber. No one sang. Or talked. Mitchie stood at the flagpole with Shane. They were lowering the camp flag.

“I was thinking about keeping it as a souvenir,” Mitchie said sadly, folding the flag.

Shane sighed. “I can't believe we lost.”

“I guess every song can't be a hit,” Mitchie said. “Didn't you tell me that? But that doesn't mean we should stop singing.”

Shane looked at her, his brown eyes tender.

“I'm really sorry we didn't get to spend more time together,” Mitchie said sadly. The summer had gone by so fast.

“Hey, the whole reason I came here this summer—” Shane began.

“Was to get to know me better,” Mitchie finished, smiling.

“And I definitely learned everything I needed to know,” Shane said quietly, leaning over to kiss her.

Nothing could make up for Camp Rock's loss to Camp Star. But being kissed by Shane Gray sure came close.

Holding hands, they walked back to the campfire. And as Nate continued to play his guitar, Shane started to sing. Soon Mitchie joined in, harmonizing. Then more Camp Rockers picked up the melody. Hearing all their voices blending together, singing about the incredible summer they'd had, made the disappointment a little easier to bear.

After all, they had had a fantastic summer. And to be there all together, well, there was nothing better.

“Look! What's that?” Trevor exclaimed. He pointed into the distance.

Dozens of lights were floating on the lake. As Mitchie squinted, trying to figure out what she was seeing, she realized the lights were lanterns. Some Star campers were coming over in rowboats and canoes, tying them to the dock and walking toward the campfire. Tess and Dana were leading the group.

What do they want? Mitchie wondered. She knew her fellow campers were wondering the same thing.

“Hi,” Tess said. “We saw the fire… ”

“We really don't get to do this kind of thing,” Dana added, gesturing around the group.

“So … do you think there's room for some of us?” Tess asked. Mitchie didn't miss the glimmer of hope and regret in Tess's voice.

Brown's voice was welcoming. “There's always room.”

The Camp Rockers scooted over to make room for the Star campers.

“If it's okay with you, I'd like to come back to Camp Rock next summer,” Tess blurted out to Brown.

From around the campfire, other voices chimed in. “I already called my parents and told them that I want to come here instead next summer,” one Camp Star girl was saying.

“Are there any openings left?” a Camp Star boy was asking. “I wanna come, too.”

Mitchie blinked in surprise as her mom came running up to the campfire from the main building. She was waving a phone in her hand. “Could I get a little help in here? The phones are going crazy!” Lots of aspiring rockers who had seen the TV broadcast wanted to sign up for spots at Camp Rock.

“Please!” exclaimed yet another Camp Star girl. “Can you at least put us on a list or something? This place is so much more fun.”

Brown caught Mitchie's eye, and she beamed back at him. Maybe they hadn't lost the showdown after all.

Brown grinned at the Star campers. “I'm sure we can work something out,” he told them as the Camp Rockers started to sing once more. The Star campers joined in and clapped along with the music.

They sang about being together, and how that was all that mattered. Mitchie looked over at Shane and knew that he agreed wholeheartedly.

Her second summer at Camp Rock had been completely different than what she had imagined it would be … and in the end, better than she could have ever dreamed. She had her friends, she had a great boyfriend, and she had her music.

Her life was like Camp Rock … it rocked!