Author's note: Alright, first chapter…a little short, but it's mostly back story, and I just wanted to get something out there. I've decided to write this story and another story, the sequel to "Get Back" (which will be called "Gonna Get Caught") at the same time, so be patient if updates are a little slow. The first chapter of that should be up sometime next week. Please subscribe to me as an author so you can read both, and send me your reviews! They mean a lot to me! Thanks!

Chapter One

"Shane…" Mitchie started, tears welling up in her eyes as she caught sight of the boy standing in front of her.

"You were lying?" Shane's voice was flat, tainted by a hint of confusion.

"Yes, but-"

"Wow. You know, I'm used to people pretending around me-"

"I wasn't pretending," Mitchie interrupted. She wanted to explain, but she didn't know where to begin.

"I really thought you were different, but you're just like everyone else. You just wanted to be friends with 'Shane Gray,' not me. Trick's on me, huh?" Shane let out a sharp, forced laugh.

"I was just trying to-"

"Save it for your interview with Star Scoop Magazine," Shane spat. "I know I gave you an earful." He shook his head with disappointment and pushed his way through the nosy crowd that had gathered. Mitchie watched the first boy she'd ever really cared about fade off in the distance, no longer able to control the emotion she'd suppressed.

"Not here, you don't." Caitlyn grabbed Mitchie's arm as the hot, salty tears began to fall in heavy droplets. Whisking her friend away to the safety of her cabin.

Once they were back inside Mitchie threw herself on Caitlyn's bed, unsure if her low feeling would ever subside. She was unable to speak as her cries shook her body, but her mind was racing a mile a minute. Her lies over the summer had began small-she only fibbed about her mother's career to fit in with the wealthy crowd-but it had all snowballed out of control. Soon the charade had grown bigger and began to envelope more people until she no longer had a grip on it all. The summer up to that point had, for the most part, been an amazing experience. She'd come to Camp Rock excited to pursue her musical dreams, and becoming friends with Shane Gray was certainly an added bonus.

Mitchie had always been a Connect Three fan, and her first encounter with Shane had turned out to be a disappointment. His ego was huge, giving him the impression the entire world belonged to him. Something told her, however, not to completely write him off, and it was a good thing she had listened to her instincts. Shane had proved himself to be much more than the rock star image he portrayed: he was funny, sweet, intelligent, and Mitchie had fallen hard for him.

But now Mitchie would never know what could've come from her friendship with Shane, all because she had been desperate to fit in with the people she'd come to hate. She was realizing far too late that she'd gone about things all wrong, and he was never going to give her the chance to make it all right again. Because of that, she cried an endless sea of tears. She sobbed out of embarrassment, sobbed out of shame, and sobbed over the pain of a broken heart. She shook her head as Caitlyn tried to console her; she had no desire to talk. All she wanted to was to know how Shane was doing, whether or not he was as upset as her.

Had Mitchie been there to bear witness to Shane at that exact moment, she would've seen how furious he was. He was so angry, shocked he'd allowed himself to play the fool. His band mates had forced him to spend his summer at camp after he'd gotten their tour cancelled, a fate he'd deemed horrible-until two things changed his mind.

On his first afternoon at Camp Rock Shane had heard a voice, a song he'd never before heard. The music was so honest, so inspired, and it evoked an array of emotions he had numbed himself to long ago. Around the same time he heard the voice he met Mitchie, turning his life upside down. She was quiet, like a little mystery he wanted so badly to crack. The time with her almost made the bleak summer seem bearable, at least for a little while. She didn't look at him the way other girls did, didn't follow on his heels like a love-struck puppy. For the first time since signing a record deal Shane believed he had made an honest friend, but as he trudged through the woodsy campgrounds alone he felt as if he'd been sorely mistaken.

Shane had been betrayed more times than he cared to remember-a cruel side effect of the fame no one had bothered to prepare him for-but it didn't make Mitchie's lies any easier to stomach. It appeared his apprehensions about the summer had been right, and he was so done with it all.

"Shane!" Nate exclaimed as his friend burst through the cabin door. "Where have you been, man?"

"I'm going home," Shane stated, ignoring the question. He turned his attention to the wooden dresser propped against one wall, yanking its drawers open savagely to retrieve his clothing.

"I don't think camp is over yet." Jason looked with confusion at his band mates.

"It's definitely not," Nate agreed.

"Yeah? Well, I don't care," Shane spat. "I'm so out of here." He was packing his suitcases now with great swiftness, a talent he'd picked up from many months on the road.

"Shane, we can't leave yet; there's still a week of camp left. You have classes to teach, and we're all supposed to judge the Final Jam. What about Mitchie? And aren't you still looking for that girl you heard singing? We still have a lot to do here." Nate was all business, a fact that was grating on Shane's nerves at the moment.

"Didn't I say 'I don't care?' I meant about any of it. No, I don't want to talk about it, and no, I'm not going to change my mind. One of you needs to call for a car, because I'm leaving today." Shane just wanted to be rid of anything related to Camp Rock. He was too disgusted by Mitchie to stick around, and the fruitless search for the girl with the voice was no longer of any interest to him. The whole summer had been on terrible mess, and his band mates would now be forced to deal with the consequences. Shane snatched his now-packed bags and stormed out of the cabin towards the front of the camp to wait for his ride in peace.

The following morning Mitchie awoke where she had passed out the afternoon before. She rose from the bed and grimaced at her day-old clothes, horrified she'd slept for so long. Rubbing her tired eyes seemed like such a difficult task, her mind still too consumed by her depression to take control of her body.

"Hey…" Caitlyn appeared in the doorway. "I brought you some breakfast; I didn't want to wake you up." She offered a muffin cautiously to Mitchie, taking in the sight of her friend's disheveled appearance.

"I'm not really hungry, but thanks," Mitchie said weakly as she accepted the food. "Did I really sleep for that long?" She looked out the window at the bright day, wondering how the Sun dared to shine while she was feeling so dark and miserable.

"Are you up for class today? I mean, I'll totally cover for you if you don't want to go," Caitlyn offered.

"No, I have to go." Mitchie shook her head at the thought of skipping. "My mom would kill me if she found out I didn't."

"Well, let me help clean you up a little bit then." Caitlyn pulled a shirt from her dresser and handed it to Mitchie, running a brush through her friend's hair as she made an attempt to primp in a nearby mirror.

"Good enough," Mitchie sighed. She appreciated Caitlyn's effort, but she knew she still looked like a walking disaster. Normally she would've been at least a bit concerned, but it no longer mattered; she had no one left to impress. She let out a sigh and followed her friend out of the cabin, dragging her feet as the two traveled down the path towards her first class of the day.

"What's going on?" Caitlyn asked no one in particular. She pushed Mitchie towards the crowd formed outside of their destination. Their fellow campers seemed to be just as confused, looking all around as they clamored to each other.

"Boys and girls, please,." Shane's uncle Brown spoke, his voice commanding silence from the group. Mitchie felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she listened to the result of her conflict with Shane.

"Due to circumstances apparently beyond my control," Brown continued. "Connect Three has left early and will not be finishing out this week with us."

"What about class?"

"What about the Final Jam?"

Questions were fired off from the crowd, everyone wondering exactly what would become of their last week at camp.

"All classes instructed by Shane are cancelled for the remainder of the session. As for the Final jam, well, the details of that have still yet to be worked out. It will still happen, of course, but if I had to guess I'd say the prize of recording a song with Connect Three is off the table." The collective groan of disappointment was heard throughout the camp as Brown finished speaking. Every camper had dedicated their summer to preparing their act for the Final Jam, and now the ultimate prize had been taken away from them.

"You're all free to go do as you please until lunchtime," Brown stated, waving the group off. Mitchie looked over at Caitlyn and silently expressed her desire to slip away unnoticed, but it was too late for that. All eyes in the crowd were on her, several campers muttering angry words under their breath as they began to brush past her. It was clear gossip moved fast in the camp; everyone was aware this was Mitchie's fault. She and no choice but to try and hold her head up as she turned to escape from the scene. There were no more tears for her to cry after the previous night, so she made the decision to try to stand strong. As she made her exit from the crowd she noticed her biggest critic, Tess, was no where to found, but she had more important things to deal with.

Mitchie's decision to try and focus her attention away from her terrible ending with Shane had paid off. In a scramble to sweeten the loss of the recording prize, Brown chose to award the winner of the Final Jam full tuition the following summer. Mitchie had gained the courage to climb on the stage and sing her heart out, earning her a standing ovation from the crowd. She also gained her return to Camp Rock the next year, and in turn caught the interest of record label scouts that had been invited to observe the various concerts performed throughout the summer.

Suddenly Mitchie's life was a whirlwind; within two years she was juggling the tasks of working with a tutor to graduate high school and recording her first album. Things were taking off for her in a way she'd never imagined, but she couldn't allow herself to be completely happy. She had always been one to dwell on the past, and she never let herself forget about Shane, no matter what amazing things the beginnings of fame showed her.

"Mitchie Torres, just the girl I've been looking for!" Mitchie gave a small wave the to woman pointing to her. She was Alexandra, a record label intern hired to care for Mitchie's every need. It was a luxury Mitchie found to be absolutely ridiculous, but the label insisted upon it.

"Hey Alex, what's on the agenda today?" Mitchie looked idly at the platinum records hanging in the hallway of the label's headquarters, many of them belonging to Connect Three. She averted her eyes quickly, the smiling faces of her former friends too much to handle.

"Just one meeting," Alexandra explained as she browsed her clipboard. "I think you'll enjoy it. Sorry to spring it on you, but they're already here."

"Another meeting? I'm never going to get used to this." The music industry was a far cry from the world Mitchie had lived in before, and after six months of recording she was beginning to feel worn out. It seemed her meetings and promotions were never-ending; she'd been thoroughly educated on such responsibilities before signing her deal, but it was still taking some adjusting. Alexandra was always throwing her head first into things with no warning, making her constantly nervous.

"Mitchie, this one is different! From what I've heard, these are friends of yours." Mitchie glanced at Alexandra with confusion as she was ushered into one of the private lounges. The truth was she had virtually no friends-another delightful perk of a non-stop recording schedule-so who could she possibly be referring to?

"This has to be a joke," Mitchie sighed under her breath as the door swung open, revealing two of the last people she'd ever expected to see again: Shane and Tess.