"Finally!" She said, the excitement clear in her voice as she jumped to her feet. "They're here!"

Drew and Alex shared an amused look, each slowly reaching up to lower her back down. Her arm was already in a cast; the very reason they'd missed the boys 'Final Jam' performance in the first place, too much eagerness could only lead to the fourteen-year-old injuring herself further.

Mitchie was a natural born klutz, even she couldn't deny that.

"Chill, Mitch." Her best friend muttered, rolling her eyes. "I wanna see the guys too, but they'll be inside in just a second."

"Yeah." Drew agreed. "Just be cool, Torres."

"Jason wouldn't tell me who won." Mitchie replied, standing up. "There was a record producer there, guys! A record producer! From a major label! Do you know what this could mean for my brother? And Shane? And Nate? Do you?"

Alex laughed, but he remained silent. She shot him a questioning look, but he waved her away. She shrugged it off, and grabbed Mitchie's hand to pull her back into a sitting position.

"I know, Mitchie." She said. "And that record producer would be stupid not to offer the guys a contract. I can't believe I'm saying this, but for once, I actually agree with Drew. Just calm down. They'll be inside in a minute, and I'm sure Jason will tell you all about it."

"I think I saw something shiny! It has to be a trophy!"

Drew snorted. "Seriously, Mitch. Chill."

Finally, the door swung open, and two of her three favorite people entered the room, their arms loaded with suitcases, duffle bags, guitar cases, and drum sticks. Alex laughed again, standing up to try and take some of the burden away from her boyfriend. He too waved her away, claiming that since he was a 'man,' he could handle carrying his own luggage. Mitchie gave the suitcases a wary glance.

"Why do I wanna say that all of that belongs to Shane?"

"Because it does." Her brother, and the oldest member of Connect 3, grumbled. "Remind me, Nate. Why can't Shane carry his own damn suitcase?"

Nate's face finally appeared from behind a leather duffle bag. "Because he's too busy staring at his own reflection in the trophy..."

At the mention of the word trophy, Mitchie's eyes lit up, and she threw her arms around Jason's neck. Could it be? Was Connect 3 finally going to get to perform in a place that didn't pay them from the tip jar? Would the band she knew and love finally have the chance to become a household name?

"You won?"

"We won!" Nate echoed, abandoning the last of the bags to wrap his arm around Alex. "I can now officially announce that Connect 3 has been signed to Shadow Records!"

Alex squealed, winding her arms around his torso before leaning up to kiss him. "I am so proud of you, babe!"

"Yeah..." Drew muttered. "That's... Great, man."

Jason swung Mitchie around in a circle before releasing his grip on her altogether. His usually goofy demeanor had yet to make an appearance, and she couldn't help but wonder if he was still in shock, or just too tired to have the right reaction.

"I am so proud of you!"

"You said that already." He muttered, pressing his lips to her forehead. "Enough about me. How was dance camp?"

"It was great!" The two girls said together, sharing a look.

Nate glanced over at Mitchie's arm, wrapped in plaster and covered with signatures. His eyes were full of amusement as he crossed the room to wrap her up in a hug. She pressed her face into his shoulder, grateful that they had finally been reunited. Mitchie had known Shane for years, but Nate was the closest thing she had to a twin brother. His parents had been awarded permanent guardianship of fifteen-year-old Jason and ten-year-old Mitchie after Steve and Connie Torres perished in a horrible car accident. The three teens had grown up together, Nate treating Jason and Mitchie as long lost siblings. He hadn't gotten jealous when his mother spent more time with Mitchie instead of him, because he knew that she needed a mother figure more than he did during certain parts of her adolescence, and Mitchie loved him for that. Besides Alex, Nate was her best friend, and she was so happy to finally have him back. She was thrilled to see Jason as well, but she knew now that he was home, his protective, big brother instincts would once again take over her life.

Not that it was only Jason. Shane and Nate were just as, if not more, protective of her. At least she had an excuse as to why she had never been on a date.

Shane. Where the hell was Shane?

"Yo, Romeo!" Nate called, guessing her thoughts. "Get your ass in here and help us unpack!"

Shane had gotten permission to stay with the Blacks for the rest of the summer. She was ecstatic.

"We're about to be famous, Nathan." He shot back. "I need to make sure I always look my best."

Alex looked at them and rolled her eyes. Shane had always been obsessed with his looks, some things would never change.

"There's not enough hair care products in the world to make that happen, Shane."

Shane scoffed, finally stepping into the room. He let the door fall shut behind him before putting down the large, gleaming trophy down onto the table. Mitchie began to laugh. She couldn't help it, she never tired of hearing Shane and Nate bicker. It was always interesting, and more often than not, the youngest member of Connect 3 came out on top.

"Yeah, yeah. Yuck it up, Mitch." He muttered, glancing down at her cast. "Hey. I was just wondering: how can someone as clumsy as you get into one of the most prestigious dance camps in the country?"

She stuck her tongue out at him in response. It was Shane's turn to chuckle. He beckoned her forward, grabbing her up in a bone crushing hug when she was close enough. She smiled, winding her arms around his torso. She had missed him the most, though she would never admit that out loud.

"I missed you." Shane mumbled. "Seriously, Mitchie, next year you're not allowed to trip, and fall, and miss your flight. It wasn't the same without you there."

Mitchie could feel the blush rising to her cheeks. She shot Drew and Alex a hopeful glance: they were the only ones who knew about her feelings for her brother's best friend, and they had saved her ass so many times before. If Shane caught her with her rosy red cheeks, he would never let her live it down.

"So, Nate!" Drew called, drawing attention to himself. "I say we go out and celebrate our boy getting signed! Jason? Shane? You guys wanna come?"

The two older band member shared a look before simultaneously shaking their heads. Jason offered his sister a tired smile, reaching out to squeeze her arm.

"I'm gonna pass, kids." He said. "I'm beat."

"Yeah." Shane shoved his hands into his pockets. "Me too."

Drew pulled his car keys out of his pocket, jerking his thumb towards the door. "C'mon, gang."

"Mitch?"

She paused in the doorway. "Yeah, Jase?"

"Just..." Jason let out a long sigh. "Be careful. Okay, sis?"

"Lexi?"

"Hmm?"

"Why do I feel like you're hiding something from me?" Nate demanded, raising an eye brow.

He knew her all too well, but that didn't mean he could read her mind. She and Mitchie had been giggling over something all night, and he was determined to get in on the secret.

Alex pursed her lips, a smirk spreading across her face. "You really wanna know, babe?"

"Yeah. I really do."

Mitchie glanced back at her and grinned, before offering him a wink. Nate rolled his eyes, suddenly feeling skeptical, Alex and Mitchie were never up to any good, now he was unsure if he wanted to know.

"Please, Lexi?"

"Oh..." Alex drew out, throwing him her best smile. "Okay. Mitchie and I have been talking..."

"That's never good."

"Shut up, Nate."

"Just speaking the truth, Mitch."

"Anyway." She said, shooting both of them a warning look. "You know how much we love dance camp, but we were thinking... Maybe we should give Camp Rock a try."

Nate's eyes lit up. "Really? An entire summer? Just you and me?"

"Sort of." Alex replied with a laugh. "I mean, Jason, Shane and Mitchie will be there too, but I'm sure you and I can find some time to sneak off and..."

Mitchie smacked her best friend's leg. "Don't you dare finish that sentence!"

Nate pressed his lips to his girlfriend's in response, chocking back a laugh as his sister began to gag. She was always getting after them about their very, very public displays of affection, and it made it all the more fun to mess with her.

"So what do you think?"

"I think it's a great idea." He replied, kissing her again. "I'm already counting down the days."

Drew, who had remained silent oddly silent the entire night, began to drum his fingers against the steering wheel. He pressed down on the gas pedal, the speed of the car noticeably accelerating.

"Everything alright, man?"

"No." He said through gritted teeth. "Russo, if you and Torres go to that dump camp next-"

"Drew..." Mitchie said, her eyes widening. "Slow down... Please..."

"What the hell happened, Nate?"

She knew that voice! She also knew the tone he'd used, a mixture of concern, anger and annoyance. While everyone else who knew and loved him for his goofy nature, she had grown up with a very protective older brother, who used that tone of voice with her daily.

She tried to open her eyes, but they felt too heavy, so she finally let them remain closed. She was lying in an unfamiliar, very uncomfortable bed, and she could hear a distant beeping in the background.

Was she in a hospital?

"I didn't... How was I supposed to... I can't..."

Mitchie almost didn't recognize the next voice that spoke. It couldn't have been Nate, she had never heard him sound so... Broken.

Drew! Look out!

Slowly, she opened her eyes.

She was indeed lying in a hospital bed, not her own like she had been hoping. An IV had been inserted into her arm, and the cast wrapped around her left had been re-plastered, the signatures her friends from dance camp had scribbled across it gone. Her hand was being gripped too tightly by Shane, who breathed a sigh of relief the moment their eyes met.

"Hey." He said. "You're awake."

Mitchie took in his appearance. He'd showered with the intention of not leaving the house for the night, and his normally straight hair was beginning to turn into his natural, adorable curls. Any other time, he would have freaked out, and demanded that they stop somewhere before anyone could see him with his 'ugly' hair.

"It's okay, Mitchie." Shane mumbled, easing her down when she tried to sit up. "Just take it easy, alright? They gave you a lot of meds."

"Mitch." Jason let out a long sigh, bending down to press his lips to her hairline. "Finally. You're awake."

Mitchie blinked in surprise. How long had she been asleep for? Why did all three members of Connect 3 look exhausted, tired, angry and devastated?

"Mitch. Do... Do you remember what happened tonight?"

Slowly, she shook her head. The last thing she remembered was teasing Nate and Alex for...

"There was an accident..." Nate managed to say. "Alex... She um... She didn't... She's not..."

It couldn't be. Nate was telling some cruel, horrible joke! It wasn't funny! He was such an ass!

As soon as she saw the look in Shane's eyes, she knew Nate was telling the truth, she just couldn't believe it. Her best friend had been with her the entire weekend before, holding her hand in the hospital while they wrapped her arm up in the cast, teasing her for being a klutz on the plane ride home. Alex couldn't be dead!

Mitchie opened her mouth to scream, or cry, but no sound came out.