Rounding up the other Camp Rockers wasn’t easy. For the past fifteen minutes, Mitchie had gone from classroom to classroom at Camp Star looking for campers. She opened the door to the recording studio. Two campers were inside, singing.

“Rockers. Boats. Two minutes,” she told them. The girls hesitated—then bolted out the door.

Mitchie gazed around. “Wow,” she whispered, taking in all the expensive, state-of-the-art equipment. “Now that’s a recording studio.” As she turned to go outside she bumped smack into the guy who’d just performed like a bona fide rock star—with the attitude to match.

“Hey,” he said, smiling broadly at her.

“Hi,” Mitchie said flatly. She was not interested in talking to him. But he wouldn’t move out of her way. “Can I help you with something?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Do I look like I need any help?” he asked slyly.

“Do I know you?” Mitchie said. Then she raised her voice, calling out, “Boats. Two minutes!”

The guy laughed. “Do you know me? That’s a good one.” He gazed at her. “I’m Luke. Luke Williams? I was just onstage, like, two minutes ago.” He started singing a few lines of the song from before. “That’s what I’m talking about.”

Mitchie rolled her eyes. “Oh, yeah. Impressive.”

“I know, right?” Luke said, not picking up on her sarcasm. “So, you thinking about joining us over here?”

“Uh, no,” Mitchie said, attempting to brush past him. “I’m good where I am, thanks.”

Luke smirked. “Yeah, well, you’re Shane Gray’s girlfriend so …”

Mitchie stopped. “Wait. What does Shane … That is not … How do you even know that?”

“You gotta know the players if you want to be in the game,” Luke said smugly. “Am I right?”

“No.”

“It’s a tough business,” Luke said, his eyes narrowing into slits.

Mitchie stared at him. “It’s summer camp.”

“To you,” Luke pointed out. “For anybody at Camp Star, it’s step one to a long and illustrious career. I don’t have time for second-rate.”

“We’re not second-rate,” Mitchie argued.

“You don’t have to get all defensive,” Luke told her, holding up his hands. “You don’t have to try and convince me.”

“I’m not trying to do anything,” Mitchie said, glaring at him.

“Good. Then Camp Rock is the perfect place for you.”

Mitchie felt as if she was about to explode. “Look, just so we’re clear, Luke ‘I’m giving you the fiiiiiiiiire’ Williams, there isn’t a single Camp Rocker, not one, who would ever in a million years think about coming to this narcissistic, overproduced ego factory!” she burst out.

Just then Tess ran over, holding up her phone. “Guess what? My mom said yes. I get to switch!” she exclaimed.

Luke beamed. “That’s great. Welcome to the ego factory.”

Tess beamed back. “Thanks!”

Mitchie stared at her. “Tess, how could you?”

Tess put on a sad face. “I know. I’m sorry. I feel horrible, but—” Suddenly she was smiling again. “Who am I kidding? I’m so excited I can’t even pretend to be sympathetic!” Tess touched Luke’s arm. “I love what you just did up there,” she gushed. “So impressive!”

“I know, right?” Luke bragged. “It’s kinda my thing.”

Mitchie had had enough. “Good luck finding a spotlight big enough for both of you,” she said before storming off. She couldn’t wait to get back to Camp Rock.

It was only a mile away … but a world apart. as the sun rose the next day, everyone who had decided to stay on at Camp Rock gathered in the mess hall. Mitchie stood in the middle of a crowd of campers, while Sander and Barron were at a DJ table behind her.

“Everything’s going to be fine,” Mitchie was assuring the campers. “Brown’s a smart guy. He’ll figure it out.”

“Thanks for that vote of confidence.”

Mitchie looked up to see the camp director standing just inside the mess-hall doorway. “I guess there’s no need for me to get everyone’s attention,” he said. He looked really tired—as if he’d been up all night long. He gazed out at the campers. “The good news is—and this seriously warms my heart—we lost very few campers last night.”

“Tess,” Mitchie muttered, scowling. She knew Tess was super competitive and serious about her career, but she still couldn’t believe she’d walked away from her two BFFs, Ella and Peggy, and defected from Camp Rock.

“I am so defriending her,” Ella declared.

“But we did lose quite a few of our remaining staff,” Brown continued, rubbing his temples. “Which means … I can’t believe I’m going to say this … Camp Rock is closed. Effective immediately.”

Mitchie was stunned. Close Camp Rock? He couldn’t be serious! But by the looks of the grim faces around her, he was.

“You have to believe me,” Brown said over the campers’ disappointed protests, “I truly have no other choice. I’ll start calling parents as soon as we’re done here … which, I guess, is now. I’m sorry.” With an abrupt nod, he walked quickly out of the mess hall, leaving the room in chaos.

“Brown!” Shane exclaimed. “Wait!” He grabbed his brothers and together they ran after him.

“Camp is over?” Ella said, dismayed. “But we just got here. It’s not fair.”

Caitlyn slumped her shoulders. “It’s not his fault. There’s nothing he can do about it.”

Mitchie’s mind was racing. “But that doesn’t mean there isn’t something we can do about it,” she said, thinking out loud.

“Mitchie—” Peggy began.

“We’re not going home!” Mitchie declared, smiling for the first time all morning. “This is our summer. We’re not giving up, and we aren’t backing down.”

All of them—Mitchie, Caitlyn, Peggy, Ella, Sander, Barron, and Shane and his brothers—they were all in this together. Camp Rock was where they’d found their sounds, their voices, their strengths—and each other. There was no way they could just walk away from it all.

They had to take on Camp Star and win this thing.

There was too much at stake if they didn’t. a short while later, Mitchie and her friends walked into Brown’s office. They’d all changed into Camp Rock staff T-shirts.

Brown sat at his desk, piles of papers spread out before him. He put down his phone and stared at them. “What is going on?”

Mitchie spoke up. “You said you were short a few counselors. So I found you some new ones.”

Please take a chance on us, she thought, her heart pounding. We can do this.

After a moment, Brown’s weathered face broke into a smile. “Then it looks like I should call this staff meeting to order.”

Mitchie grinned. They wouldn’t let him—or Camp Rock—down.