Rock Royalty (8 page)

Brown rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “Have you seen Mac this afternoon?” he asked her.

“Sure have. He's at the lake,” Dee said cheerfully. “He's out in a canoe at the moment with Caitlyn Gellar. Do you need him for something?”

“Could you please ask him to come to my office immediately?” said Brown. “It's important.”

“Sure thing,” said Dee. “Over and out.”

The walkie-talkie went silent, and Brown sighed. If there was one thing he hated about being camp director, it was having to discipline campers. But if there was one thing he couldn't have at Camp Rock, it was reporters bothering the campers and counselors.

“Y
ou wanted to see me?” Mac said as he stood in the doorway of Brown's office a few minutes later. His face was pale despite the fact that he'd been out in the sun. Getting called into the director's office could mean nothing good.

“Yes, Mac. Come in, please,” Brown said, walking around to sit on the edge of his desk.

Mac anxiously took a seat in front of the director.

Brown took a deep breath. “Mac, something has recently come to my attention concerning the incident with the
Celeb Beat
article.” He watched for Mac's reaction. “But before I jump to conclusions, I'd like to see if there's anything you'd like to tell me first.”

Mac's face fell. His mind raced. Suddenly he remembered letting Colby get the guitar picks from his trunk. That was where he kept his tape recorder for his reporting! Colby must have told Brown Mac's secret. And from the look on Brown's face, he was seriously disappointed. Mac felt a wave of guilt wash over him. He had never meant for people to get hurt. . . .

“I guess there is something I should tell you,” Mac said softly. He fidgeted as he tried to decide where to begin. “When I came to Camp Rock, it wasn't necessarily because I wanted to be a rock star—or even a musician.” He paused. “It was because I wanted to be a rock journalist.”

Brown nodded slowly, waiting to hear Mac's story.

Mac continued. “
Celeb Beat
gave me an internship. They loved the idea that I could report from inside camp, getting the campers' perspective and all.”

“So you wrote the article on the School Rocks concert?” Brown asked.

Mac shook his head. “No, I just sent the editor my notes and some quotes. She wrote the article.”

Brown was silent as he decided what to do.

“Are you gonna kick me out?” Mac asked nervously.

“No, mate,” Brown said solemnly. “I haven't kicked a camper out yet, and I'm not going to start now. Rock reporters are part of the music industry, and I am impressed by your drive. I understand how it could be hard to pass up such an opportunity. But I hope
you
understand that I can't allow you to report on Camp Rock. I want campers to feel this is a place where they can explore their musical talents and be themselves without being judged. It can't be that way if they're afraid of ending up in
Celeb Beat
magazine.”

Mac nodded. He understood. After all the negative fallout from the article, he was beginning to wonder if reporting for
Celeb Beat
was what he really wanted to do anyway.

“So,” Brown continued, “I'm going to let you stay on two conditions. One, you won't report on us for
Celeb Beat
anymore.”

Mac nodded.

“Two, you'll apologize to the whole camp at the Bonfire Jamboree tonight.”

Mac gulped but nodded again. “Deal,” he said, standing to shake Brown's hand. “I'm sorry for any trouble I caused, Brown.”

Brown slapped Mac on the shoulder. “I know you are. I remember when my friend Cameron toured with us as a reporter for
Rolling Stone
. Boy, some of the stuff he wrote really ticked off my band!” Brown chuckled. “We forgave him, though. We knew there was always truth in what he wrote, and we knew he covered music because he loved it as much as we did.”

“Thanks, Brown. I just hope my friends will forgive me.”

Brown thought about this as he walked Mac to the door. “I bet they will,” he said. “You just think about what you want to say tonight at the bonfire. Remember, it's all in the presentation.

D
own by the lake, the bonfire was going strong. The reflection of its orange flames danced on the water behind the fire pit. The campers were excited. They'd been working on camp songs all week. That was the theme—regular summer camp songs with a rock twist. Connie had even set up a s'mores table so the campers could roast marshmallows and build their own gooey, chocolatey graham cracker sandwiches.

Now campers and counselors sat in a semicircle around the bonfire, waiting for Brown and Dee. Some of their suspicion about the
Celeb Beat
undercover reporter had worn off, and they were talking excitedly again.

Mac, however, was silent. He knew in a matter of minutes he'd have to tell everyone that he was the one who'd given
Celeb Beat
their information. He was sure Tess and Mitchie would be furious. Not to mention Shane. He
knew
Colby was angry. And then there was Caitlyn. He was worried about her reaction the most.

Mac's silence hadn't gone unnoticed by Caitlyn. They were sitting next to each other on a log by the fire. Mitchie and Shane were next to them, followed by Lola, Peggy, Ella, Lorraine, and Tess. Everyone was there. Except for Colby. He'd chosen to sit on the other side of the fire.

“Are you okay?” Caitlyn asked, eyeing Mac. “You're being really . . . quiet.”

“Yeah,” Mac said. “I'm okay.” But, in truth, his stomach was in knots and his palms were sweaty. He was not looking forward to this.

“Okay,” Caitlyn said, jumping up. “I'm gonna make a s'more. Anyone with me?”

“Ooh! Me,” Mitchie said, also jumping up.

“You don't have a personal assistant to make one for you?” Shane joked.

“Ha-ha,” Mitchie laughed sarcastically. “Don't you know my diva days are behind me?”

“Does that mean you've decided to step down from the pop princess throne?” Caitlyn joked.

“I think I like being a commoner better,” replied Mitchie. Laughing, Mitchie and Caitlyn headed for the marshmallows. As they did, Brown walked up to Mac.

“You ready?” Brown asked him.

Mac sighed heavily and stood up. “Ready as I'll ever be.”

Colby watched Mac as he walked to stand in front of the fire, before the campers. Shane was also watching, wondering what Mac was up to.

Brown stood next to Mac and waited for the campers to take their seats and get quiet. Finally, the only noise was that of the crickets and a few motorboats on the lake.

“Before we start the traditional jamboree,” Brown said, “Mac would like to share something with all of us. I hope you'll hear him out.”

Brown went to sit next to Dee. Mac cleared his throat. His heart felt like it was going to jump out of his chest.

“Hey, y'all,” Mac started. Everyone stared at him, confused. This was unusual. “I know some of you were upset with the recent article in
Celeb Beat
about the School Rocks concert. It wasn't the most flattering—or even accurate—article. And some of you have been concerned that the magazine had an undercover reporter here at Camp Rock.”

Mac took a deep breath and looked at Caitlyn as he made his confession. “That reporter was actually me.”

Campers gasped and everyone started whispering excitedly. There had been a mole after all! Caitlyn's jaw dropped. Mitchie was confused, and Shane was angry. Colby's face was impassive.

Now that the initial confession was out, the rest of the words came easier. “I came to Camp Rock to report for
Celeb Beat
from the inside,” Mac said, speaking up to be heard over the commotion. “I want—or wanted—to be a rock journalist. But I didn't anticipate how it would make people feel to have their friend reporting on them. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings by writing about you behind your backs.”

A couple campers, including Barron and Sander, started booing from the crowd. But Brown quickly came to stand next to Mac.

“All right now,” Brown said to the crowd. “Mac has said he's sorry and assured me that he has done the last of his reporting as a Camp Rock correspondent.” Mac nodded heartily in confirmation. “I think we can chalk this up to another lesson learned about the business of rock and roll and let bygones be bygones. Now, on with the jamboree!”

Two campers took Mac and Brown's spot in front of the bonfire. Giggling, they proceeded with their new camp song about fishing.

Mac headed back to where he'd been sitting. Tess met him halfway, trailed by Ella and Lorraine. “So, you're the mole?” Tess said, glaring at Mac.

Mac hung his head. “I
was
the mole. Like Brown said, I've reported my last story from Camp Rock. I'm sorry, Tess.”

“Well,” Ella said, seeing how sorry Mac really was and trying to look on the bright side, “if it weren't for you, there might not have been
any
article in
Celeb Beat
about Tess. You know what they say, ‘any press is good press.'”

Tess shrugged. “The pictures were good. And my mom said
Teen Weekly
magazine has already called her to do a mother-daughter interview with us. So I guess I owe you that. . . .”

Mac brightened at that news. Maybe there was a chance for forgiveness after all. But Shane was storming up, and he did not look very sympathetic.

“What were you thinking, Mac?” Shane asked angrily. “You really hurt Mitchie's feelings with all that stuff you wrote.”

Mitchie was behind Shane. “Shane,” she said, putting her hand gently on his shoulder. “It's okay. It did hurt my feelings, but what Mac reported was true. I
did
get carried away with all the attention and the royal treatment. I
was
being a diva. You even said so yourself.”

“I was joking,” Shane argued. “And I didn't publish it for the whole world to read.”

“Yeah.” Mitchie shrugged. “But like Tess said the other day, that's just the other side of being famous. It's part of the bargain. You, of all people, should know that. No one is really like they're portrayed in the magazines. You can't judge a CD by its cover—or a person by his or her press.”

Grudgingly, Shane stepped back. He shoved his hands deep in his jean pockets. “You're right,” he said. “I just never thought ‘the press' would be one of my friends.”

Mac gulped. “Are we?” he asked with a distressed look on his face. “Still friends, I mean. If I promise never to write another story about you ever again?”

Mitchie answered for them all.

“Yes,” she said. “Of course. Camp Rockers stick together.”

Mac looked relieved. He threw his arms around Mitchie and then a surprised Shane.

But there were two Camp Rockers he wasn't sure would still call him a friend— Colby and Caitlyn. And they were talking together just beyond the light of the bonfire.

“Excuse me,” Mac said. “I think there are a couple more people I still have to personally apologize to.”

Mitchie and Shane nodded, and Mac walked shyly up to Caitlyn and Colby.

“Hi,” he said sheepishly.

“Hi,” they answered in unison.

“You lied to me,” Colby said. “You lied to all of us.”

“I know,” said Mac. “I did, and I'm sorry.”

“How are we supposed to ever trust you again?” asked Caitlyn.

Mac sighed. “I don't know,” he said. “All I can ask is that you try,” he said. “And if I lie to you again, I give you permission to hang me from my toes by the flagpole.”

Caitlyn and Colby couldn't stifle their laughter. “All right,” said Caitlyn, “but I'm holding you to that.”

“Me, too,” Colby said, and the three of them walked back toward the bonfire and their other friends, chuckling at the thought of a helpless Mac hanging upside down from the flagpole.

When they were seated, Brown came up and squatted down next to Mac. “I've been thinking, Mac, and I have one more condition in order for you to stay at Camp Rock,” he said.

“Okay,” Mac replied nervously.

“You'll promise to write a Camp Rock newsletter,” said Brown.

Mac smiled. “Actually, I think I've decided to leave journalism behind. I've found a new passion at Camp Rock.”

“What's that?” asked Brown.

“Music producing.” Mac grinned and looked at Caitlyn. “I have a good teacher.”

Caitlyn blushed.

“But a newsletter would help us all keep in touch after camp,” Mitchie offered.

“In that case,” Mac said, as campers sang a song about Camp Rock in front of the bonfire, “I'll do it.”

He was sure that was going to be one story worth writing.

By James Ponti
Based on “Camp Rock,” Written by Karin Gist & Regina Hicks and Julie Brown & Paul Brown