The Only One

Flashback

"Hey, Tess, it's me."

"Hiya sweetie. Guess what? I just saw the paparazzi heading to the club. Let's go!"

"Uh, actually, Tess…"

She caught the tone in his voice. "What?"

"Well..you see…I really don't think it's…it's working well between us…"

"FINE!" Click.

A Week Later

"And in celebrity news, Tess Tyler and Shane Gray are still going at their war. After his heartless break-up with her over the phone, Tess has driven into absolute denial."

The screen filled with Tess's sad face. In a fake, watery voice, she whimpered

"I just don't know what I did wrong. I was so loyal to Shane. I never cheated, never lied…I think he's met someone else."

A reporter asked "Who do you think this girl could be?"

"I…I really don't know." Fake sniff. "I just hope he's…h-happy…"

Here, she began to 'cry.'

Shane groaned and flopped back onto his bed in his hotel room. "Not again," he said. "Another new clip?"

Tess was crazy. Crazy and weird. An eighteen-year-old body with a fifteen-year-olds mind, which plans insane things in an instant…like framing him to be a heartless player who leads girls on, that's what Tess was.

"What are you going to do now?" the reporter asked.

"I…I've tried to call him several times to talk about all this but he just won't answer…"

"THAT'S A LIE!"

Shane didn't even know he'd sat up until the screen came into view. "I'm the one who tried to call you!"

A pillow came to his hand and he angrily flung it at the TV. It knocked the remote off the stand and the TV went black.

He laid back down and sighed. Why did I ever go out with that platinum-pouty-princess-she devil?!

Knock, knock.

"Shane! Shane, what broke?"

Shane ignored Jason, the lead guitarist of his band, Connect 3, and rolled over onto his side, staring out the window.

"Shane, open the door."

When he remained quiet, Jason panicked. "NATE! SHANE'S GOING TO KILL HIMSELF! NATE, HURRY!!"

"SHUT UP JASON!" Shane finally shouted. "I was…sleeping, sheesh!" The dude would believe anything.

"Oh. Sorry."

"Shane open this door before we break it down," Nate said.

Shane reluctantly went and opened the door, expecting to have a brief conversation then to return to ranting at the television...only to have his brothers push past him and make themselves comfortable in his room.

"Uh, guys, get out," he said.

Nate put his hand up to signal to wait, his eyes glued to the television, the interview with Tess on.

"Geez man, I still don't see why you broke up with her," Jason said.

Nate nodded in aggrement.

"You made a mistake," Nate said.

Shane was shocked.

How could they not support him. They are his brothers. They are supposed to support his desicion.

"It just wasnt working for me ok?" he said.

"And that is exactly why the press thinks you're a jerk. You have no real reason to have broken up with Tess," Nate said.

"That is my reason," Shane said.

"No it isn't, your real reason is that Mitchie girl you met at camp last year," Nate said.

"N-no it's not," Shane stuttered. "I haven't even heard from her or seen her in four months! That's not it!"

"Yeah, it is," Nate said in a monotone voice, "You dumped Tess for some girl you met at camp, a nobody. She is probably just using you anyways. Didn't you say she lied to the entire camp? How do you know she isn't lying about being your friend,"

Shane was infuriated.

"She's not the reason! I didn't want to be with Tess so I broke up with her, simple as that!" he yelled.

Nate and Jason were taken aback.

"Just stay out of my business and to add to that, my life...and get out of my room!" Shane ranted.

Nate and Jason quickly scrambled out of the room.

Shane threw himself on the bed and covered his face with his hands, groaning.

His moment of pure, silenced bliss was interrupted by more knocking on his door.

"Shane, honey, please come out of there," his mother, Denise, called. "You need to apologize to your brothers."

Apologize to my brothers? Shane thought in disbelief. Shouldn't they be apologizing to me for not backing me up on my problems?! They're my brothers! They should believe me, not the devil!"

"Any more comments, Miss Tyler?" the reporter on TV asked.

"Shane!" His father/manager now called. "Come out of there."

"Yes. Shane, if you're out there, please take me back. I'm so sorry."

"SHANE!"

It was suddenly incredibly annoying to Shane. He shut off the TV and shouted "EVERYONE JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!!"

Everyone was silent. Shane rolled off the bed and yanked open his door. "I'm going out," he growled to his shocked family before striding towards the elevator.

"Shane, you realize we're in the middle of New York City, right?" Jason asked.

"Jason," Nate said. "For the last time, this is Long Island, outside of New York City."

Shane ignored them and stepped into the elevator.

Long Island was actually very peaceful, despite its neighboring city. Shane strode down the main street into town. No one paid him any mind. No fans came up squealing like baby pigs for an autograph or a picture, or just to tell him who he was. No photographers, no paparazzi.

Everyone now ignored the famous Shane Gray.

The famous pop-star.

The famous heartbreaker.

Never thought I'd be the one missing all of that stuff, he though ruefully. Never thought any of this would happen.

Boy. He didn't.

--

It all started at Camp Rock, right after Final Jam, actually. Mitchie and Shane had gone for a canoe ride and talked about…everything. She'd poured out all her thoughts on why she'd lied and how she'd felt after hurting him so badly.

And he'd forgiven her.

How could he not? The sweet, innocent, fifteen year old Mitchie Torres. He'd been a jerk to her. Sure, she'd lied but he'd over-reacted.

And everything was calm.

They'd exchanged emails and kept the online contact while Connect 3 went on a fall tour to make up for canceling the summer one.

And then…nothing.

She didn't reply to his emails, no matter how many he sent. She was never on IM. It was like she'd disappeared from the face of the Internet.

It just so happened that, soon afterward, Shane had met up with Tess at a Hollywood party.

Her mom's party, to be exact.

And no, he didn't ask her out.

She asked him out.

And for a long time, everything was great. Shane was completely happy and had completely forgotten Mitchie…for a time.

But everything seemed wrong between them. Every hug, every kiss on the cheek…which is why he'd tried to politely end it,

It wasn't his fault she was in California and he was in New York! He just had to end it. It would drive him mad if he didn't...

...

And now, thanks to Nate…he remembered Mitchie.

I wonder where she is right now, he thought, then paused in front of a building. It looked like a McDonalds wanna-be place, only…cleaner. And it smelled wonderful. The sign announced its name: Barney's.

Shane's stomach growled. He was hungry…

Normally he didn't eat junk like that. But it smelled tempting…

So he pushed aside the glass door, strode inside…

And froze.

There, behind the counter, with her wide, white smile and her straight brown hair, Mitchie Torres stood, serving a customer.

At the sound of the bell singling the open door, she looked up and her wide brown eyes met Shane's stare.

Her mouth formed an 'o" of surprise. "Shane? Shane Gray?"