Hidden Tracks

by Helen Perelman

  Copyright © 2008 Disney Enterprises, Inc.

  All rights reserved. Published by Disney Press, an imprint of Disney Book Group. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. For information address Disney Press, 114 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10011-5690.

  Printed in the United States of America

  First Edition

  1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2

  Library of Congress Catalog Card Number on file.

  ISBN 978-1-4231-3254-7

  For more Disney Press fun, visit www.disneybooks.com

  Visit DisneyChannel.com

  If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped” book.

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  ROCK ROYALTY

  CHAPTER

  ONE

  “I need chocolate!” Mitchie Torres sang out as she walked into Camp Rock’s canteen. The B-Note was where campers and counselors could go to get treats. It was also a great place to hang out after the evening program. Located in the basement of the Mess Hall of Fame, the room was filled with old couches, tables, a vintage jukebox, and an old Ping-Pong table. There were usually a bunch of campers jamming in the corner stage area, and tonight was no exception. It looked like just about the entire camp was there.

  “Make that a frozen chocolate bar,” Caitlyn Gellar said, waving a hand in front of her face. Camp Rock was in the middle of a serious heat wave. Temperatures had been over ninety-five degrees for the last two days, and there had been no clouds in sight. Even though it was evening, the air was still warm and sticky. Caitlyn swept her light brown hair up off her neck and into a loose ponytail.

  “Definitely frozen!” Mitchie said, blowing her long bangs up off her forehead. “That sounds like just what I need.”

  Caitlyn smiled. Even though Mitchie was a relative Camp Rock newbie, she knew all about the perks of a frozen canteen treat.

  As the two friends walked over to the snack-bar window to place their orders, Caitlyn noticed Brown Cesario. “Hey, check out Brown,” she said. “He’s totally jamming over there!” She pointed to the back corner of the room where their camp director was playing guitar.

  Barron and Sander, two of the most talented guys at camp, were singing along with him. It was a reggae song that had a catchy melody. Peggy Dupree and Colby Miller were singing backup. Caitlyn’s smile grew wider. She loved being at a place where there was an opportunity for creating music every moment of the day. It was the place to learn how to be a rock star.

  However, there was only one official rock star at camp. That was Shane Gray, the lead singer of the hot band Connect Three. Shane had met the two other members of the band at Camp Rock. They had had a pretty quick rise to fame. As a result, Shane had gotten a bit spoiled.

  When he started getting bad press for his antics on a video set, his label “suggested” that he come up to camp for the summer to unwind. Brown was his uncle, so he had an easy in. While it had not been Shane’s idea of a good time, the break had served him well. Not only were Connect Three’s sales soaring, he was having a pretty good summer hanging out with the campers—especially Mitchie.

  Frozen chocolate bars in hand, Mitchie and Caitlyn headed over to the old couch in the corner of the lounge. There were a few lava lamps scattered around, giving the place a soft glow. The windows were open to let in the hot summer breeze. Mitchie sighed as she settled onto the worn couch.

  Even though she felt as if she were melting, Mitchie wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else at that moment. Thanks to her mom scoring a job as the Camp Rock cook, she’d been able to spend her whole summer there. It was a dream come true and more—the experience had surpassed all her expectations.

  Just then, Shane appeared at the canteen entrance and caught Mitchie’s eye.

  “Hey, there,” Shane called as he crossed the room. He swung his guitar case off his shoulder and plopped down next to her on the couch, eyeing her frozen chocolate bar. “That looks pretty good,” he said. “I might need one of those, too.”

  Before Mitchie could respond, another voiced perked up. “Do you want me to get you one?” Tess Tyler asked, rushing over to Shane. Tess was the resident camp diva. She was usually surrounded by her entourage of Ella Pador and Lorraine Burgess and was constantly looking for a way to get close to Shane and his fame.

  “Lorraine,” Tess barked to the redheaded girl behind her. “Why don’t you go get Shane one of those.”

  Lorraine was a relatively new member of Tess’s entourage. She had arrived for the second session of camp and, when she moved into Vibe Cabin, had quickly fallen in as one of Tess’s adoring fans. Mitchie liked Lorraine. She was sweet and a supertalented costume designer. Mitchie had to respect her for that, even if she questioned her taste in friends.

  Mitchie wasn’t one to judge, though. When she first came to Camp Rock, she had told a huge lie about her mother being a famous music executive just to impress Tess. But Mitchie had quickly learned that lying was not the best way to make friends at camp. When everyone found out the truth, Mitchie got to see who her real friends at camp were—and Tess was not one of them!

  But Caitlyn was. Now she and Mitchie exchanged smirks at Tess’s latest attempt to cozy up to Shane.

  “I’ll get it. Thanks anyway,” Shane told Tess, standing up. He went up to the snack-bar window. A few minutes later, he returned with his own frozen treat and sat down next to Mitchie once again.

  “How was your meeting with Dee?” Mitchie asked when he was settled. She had seen Shane and a few other full-time counselors sitting with Dee La Duke, Camp Rock’s musical director, after dinner. It looked as if they were plotting something big.

  “Long.” Shane sighed. “And we still didn’t finish! I never knew how much planning goes into each Camp Rock activity. And I’m just a guest instructor!”

  “Well we thank you for all your hard work,” Caitlyn said, grinning.

  Shane smiled and looked over at Brown. “So, listen, after my uncle finishes, I was going to try playing a new tune for you guys,” he said nonchalantly.

  “Great!’ Mitchie exclaimed. She loved listening to Shane sing. If he had a new song, she definitely wanted to hear it.

  Shane’s dark eyebrows arched. “I think you’ll like it, but you’ll have to be totally honest with me.”

  “You got it,” Mitchie agreed, nodding. Caitlyn quickly nodded, too.

  “This new album has to be really good,” Shane went on. “There’s a lot of pressure now.”

  Connect Three’s latest album had recently gone platinum. Everyone was thrilled, but Mitchie knew Shane was concerned about the band’s follow-up effort.

  Shane leaned down to open his guitar case. “Our producer is all over us about making this CD special.”

  Just then, Lola Scott walked over and sat on the floor. Lola was a veteran at Camp Rock. Not only had she been singing since she was a little girl, her mother was a big-time Broadway star. Lola had inherited her talent and flare. Now she looked up at Shane as he tuned his guitar. “Are you going to play next?”

  Shane nodd
ed his head. “Yeah, we’re heading back into the studio pretty soon, and I have to finish some songs,” he said. “I was hoping that you guys would be my first audience.”

  Trying to hide her excitement, Lola nodded her head yes. Who wouldn’t want to be the first to hear a Shane Gray original?

  “Is it about camp?” Caitlyn asked. She leaned forward in her seat, wanting to get the full scoop.

  “Kinda,” Shane replied mysteriously. “I guess you could say that I have been heavily influenced here.” He looked over at Mitchie and smiled.

  “Ooooh!” Lola cried, seeing how Shane looked at Michie. “Is it a love song?”

  Mitchie pushed Lola with her feet. “Lola!” she scolded, feeling her face turn a beet red.

  Shane just laughed. “No! No! It’s simpler than that. It’s about the summer nights here at camp.”

  “You mean the superhot summer nights that are going to cause us all to dehydrate?” Caitlyn asked. She began using her hand as a fan. “This heat is killing me!”

  Lola took a sip of her ice water. “It’s supposed to break tomorrow,” she said. “But first we have to make it through tonight!”

  “I still can’t believe there is no air-conditioning here,” Tess said, once again inserting herself into the conversation. Lorraine and Ella were right behind her, holding matching ice-cream cones. All three had one of their hands on their hips, their glossy lips pouting. “This is just not humane. I’m melting!”

  “Didn’t a certain witch say that?” Caitlyn asked Mitchie.

  Mitchie stifled a giggle with her hand as Tess spun and turned away. “Good one, Caitlyn,” she threw back over her shoulder.

  “Aw, come on,” Lola said, laughing. “It isn’t so bad. It’s camp, people!”

  Mitchie nodded her head, smiling. She really liked Lola. She always told the truth and was very straightforward. They had grown closer since the beginning of the summer, and Mitchie was glad.

  “Lola’s right,” Shane chimed in. “Plus, where else would you hear crickets like this?” He gestured toward the three open windows behind the couches. “Isn’t that a cool sound?”

  Mitchie smiled. The old Shane would never have noticed that! She was glad that he was feeling more relaxed now that Second Session was well under way. He might still occassionally miss the glamorous A-list life, but he definitely knew how to enjoy the peaceful lakeside camp.

  “It’s great background for a song, don’t you think?” Shane said as he tapped his guitar to the cricket beat.

  Just then, Brown and the others stopped playing, and the cricket chorus grew even louder.

  “You should lay that down as a track on your new CD,” Mitchie joked. “Then it would have something special—a Camp Rock tribute.”

  Standing up, Shane walked over to the window. He turned and looked around the room. A smile spread across his face. “That’s an amazing idea,” he said. “Mitchie, you’re brilliant!”

  “What’s brilliant?” Peggy asked, joining the group. Now that her set with Brown and the boys was over, she was ready to have a frozen treat with her friends. “The song that we just sang?” She winked at Barron and Sander and did a little curtsy. Ever since Peggy had won Final Jam and stopped being Tess’s backup singer, she had been enjoying singing on her own. She loved being a solo vocalist, but jamming with Brown, Sander, and Colby was fun, too.

  “You sounded great,” Lola told Peggy. “But I don’t think Shane was talking about that song. He seems to have some other idea in his head.”

  Shane ran back over to the couch and packed up his guitar. After he snapped the case shut, he turned to Mitchie.

  “Seriously, Mitchie,” he said. “Thank you for saving me!” Turning, he dashed out the door with no further explanation.

  “What did I miss?” Peggy asked, totally bewildered.

  “I have no idea,” Mitchie confessed. What had she said to inspire Shane? And when would they hear his new song?

  CHAPTER

  TWO

  When Mitchie’s alarm rang the next morning, she rolled over and slammed her hand down on the snooze bar. Five minutes later the alarm reminded her that it really was time to haul her body out of bed. Pulling her pillow over her head, Mitchie tried to drown out the buzzing sound. But there was no denying the fact that she had to get up. At least it’s not so hot today, she thought as she dragged herself out of bed. The cabin felt significantly cooler, and the breeze coming through the bunk’s open windows was crisp.

  Part of staying at Camp Rock meant Mitchie still had to work with her mom in the kitchen. Being the cook for the camp was a huge responsibility. Even though she had other kitchen staff, Connie Torres still needed Mitchie’s help. The morning shift was usually the hardest one for Mitchie to manage. She had to get up an hour before the rest of the kids. But it was worth it to stay at camp. Quickly pulling on some clothes, she ran down the path to the kitchen.

  Her mom was already inside, putting trays of banana muffins in the oven. “Good morning, sleepyhead!” Connie called. “I was wondering if I was going to have to come and pull you out of bed.”

  Mitchie stretched and pulled her apron off the hook behind the door. “I’m here, I’m here,” she said. She rubbed her eyes and yawned. “I may not be totally awake, but I’m here.”

  “Well, it seems that some people have already gotten an early start today,” her mom told her. “Brown, Dee, Shane, and a few of the counselors are huddled at a table in the mess hall. They’re working on some big program for today. They’ve already been through one pot of coffee and a kettle of tea.”

  Mitchie took a container of blueberries and mixed them into the pancake batter her mom had left on the counter. “Really?” Mitchie asked. The whole camp knew Shane was not a morning person. He could barely manage to get to breakfast on time. “Did they mention what they’re doing?”

  Her mother shook her head. “No, they just asked for banana muffins and the caffeine. Not sure what they are plotting for you kids today.”

  Stirring the lumpy batter, Mitchie considered what they might be doing. To get all those people up before breakfast it had to be pretty big.

  “Well, whatever the’re cooking up,” Connie said, “it won’t be as delicious as my blueberry pancakes and banana muffins, now will it?” She smiled and gave Mitchie a hug.

  Mitchie grinned and spooned the batter onto the hot griddle. She watched for the little bubbles to appear. “No one beats your pancakes, Mom.”

  “Ah, thanks,” Connie said. “I hope everyone feels that way.”

  “Well, I’m not just saying that because I’m your daughter,” Mitchie teased. Usually it was her mom saying things like that. It was fun to switch roles and throw it back on her.

  “Come on,” Connie told her. “We’ve got a lot to do here before the rest of the camp gets up.” She playfully flicked a dish towel at Mitchie.

  After the pancakes and muffins were finished and Mitchie had set bowls of fresh fruit on each of the tables, she went and sat down to wait for her friends to arrive.

  Lola and Caitlyn walked into the mess hall first. Lola plucked a handful of grapes from the fruit bowl at the head of the table and sat down next to Mitchie. “Good morning, sunshine!”

  Mitchie smiled but didn’t turn. Her eyes were fixed on the table in the front of the mess hall, where Shane, Dee, Brown, and a few of the other counselors were sitting.

  “So, any word on what Shane was talking about last night?” Caitlyn asked as she slid onto the bench on the other side of Mitchie. When Mitchie didn’t answer, Caitlyn followed her friend’s gaze. Immediately, she saw what Mitchie was focusing on. “Or what that big powwow over there is about?” she asked, a teasing tone to her voice.

  “Nope,” Mitchie said, her eyes still locked on Shane’s table. “But it’s got to be good. They’ve been holed up there since before I arrived.”

  “Anybody here know how to read lips?” Lola joked.

  The girls shrugged. “I guess we’ll just have to wait,�
�� Mitchie said, giving a little sigh. Dragging her attention away, she peeled a banana and sliced it up, putting it on her pancakes.

  “Well, I bet you’re right, Mitchie. Whatever they’re talking about, it’s probably something good,” Caitlyn said. She reached for a banana, too, and as she peeled back the skin, nodded her head. “Second Session is always full of good surprises.”

  “I feel like we already got one today,” Lola said. She grinned at her two friends.

  Caitlyn looked over and raised an eyebrow. “What are you so happy about?” Caitlyn asked.

  “I didn’t wake up feeling like I slept in a sauna!” Lola cheered. “It’s finally a normal temperature!”

  “That’s definitely a reason to smile!” Peggy said as she walked over and sat down across from Mitchie. “Hey, M, you talk to Shane yet? What was his deal last night?”

  Mitchie shook her head. “No, but Brown is about to make morning announcements, so maybe we’ll find out.” The girls looked around. Almost all the campers had trickled in and taken their seats. The morning was about to get officially under way.

  “Hey, maybe it’s the musical mystery!” Lola exclaimed with her eyes wide. “I totally love that!”

  Peggy’s mouth was now full of blueberry pancakes, but she nodded energetically.

  Mitchie looked at them and then at Caitlyn. “What’s a musical mystery?”

  “Only one of the coolest activities of the summer,” Lola answered.

  “With an amazing grand prize,” Peggy added. “Last year the winning team went on a VIP tour of a recording studio.” She dug her fork back into the pancakes. “Man, these are really good! You guys have to have some.”

  Caitlyn grabbed a plate. “How cool would that be if Connect Three had something to do with the prize?” she asked, reaching across Peggy for the tray of pancakes.

  Lola’s eyes grew wider. “Mitchie! You’d have to win! If you did, there’s no way Shane would not make sure the prize was rockin’!”