For as long as she could remember, Mitchie Torres dreamed of being a performing artist like the ones she saw on Hot Tunes. And for as long as she could remember, that dream seemed like a far-fetched idea. But now, at least for one night, she was just like them.
She was dressed like one of the Go-Go’s and singing with someone wearing Bono’s hat. Her best friend was mixing the concert on the same equipment that Jam Master Jay used to mix Run-DMC’s records, and one of her newest friends was singing into Aretha Franklin’s microphone. And to top it all off, the boy of her dreams was winking at her while he played Paul McCartney’s guitar. Even Nate and Jason had gotten into the act and were providing backup vocals.
There may have been only a dozen or so people in the audience, but it didn’t matter. To Mitchie it felt as if she were playing with all the great acts that had ever played before a full house at the Fillmore or any other rock venue.
Although Brown had thought they would each perform solo, the six campers had another plan. They told Brown they wanted to spend the concert performing as a group, blending their styles and personalities and giving the summer a proper ending.
Lorraine brought the house down when she walked onstage wearing platform boots, a sequined jumpsuit, and Elton John’s sunglasses. And Mitchie’s mom surprised everyone when she came out of the audience and joined them on the Go-Go’s hit song, “We Got the Beat.”
When Mitchie held that final note and the music faded, everyone in the crowd jumped to their feet and gave them a standing ovation. Leading the way was Brown Cesario. He had wanted to give them a memory to inspire them, and he had achieved that—and so much more.
And in return, they wanted to give him something.
“We have one more song we’d like to play,” Mitchie said into the microphone. “That is if Dee was able to find the music for us.”
“I’ve got it,” a voice called out.
From the back of the auditorium, Dee came running up with a stack of sheet music. She handed it to Mitchie, who then passed it out among the others.
Lorraine was at the piano and Shane and Colby were on guitar while Tess and Mitchie shared Aretha’s microphone. Even though one was wearing a blinding array of eighties colors and the other was in an elegant black-and-white gown, they somehow fit together perfectly.
Shane leaned into a microphone and said, “This one’s for all the kids sitting in their rooms, listening to music and dreaming big.”
He counted out a beat, and Colby started playing a bass line. Soon they were all going, all five of them singing, while Caitlyn worked the mixing board. All five of their voices came together in perfect harmony. All different eras of rock and roll combined to make one beautiful sound.
They sang the Beach Boys tune that Brown had listened to thousands of times when he was growing up. The song that had hooked him on rock and roll.
At one point in the middle of singing and playing and dancing, Mitchie looked toward the front row where she saw Brown. His eyes were closed as he traveled back in time listening to the song.
And though it was hard to see past the stage lights, Mitchie was pretty sure she saw some tears rolling down his cheeks.
That was when Mitchie stopped worrying.
She knew that she didn’t have to wonder what would happen now that Camp Rock was over. The camp was only what brought them together. It wasn’t what held them together. They didn’t need to be sleeping in cabins and taking classes together. They were connected by something much more important. Something that wasn’t going to end when they headed home.
They were connected by the music, and that would always keep playing.