MALACHI BARTON

Malachi and Mitch have been dating for five months. Malachi, an 18-year-old actor, just finished the Worlds Collide Tour and traveled to Vancouver to begin filming Camp Rock 3.

He currently lives in a rented house with his friends Ella and Orlando. The pressure of work, expectations, and exhaustion began to affect him more than he admitted, and that's why Mitch came to stay with him for a few days. He felt bad… and he missed her.

That night, the house was packed. The cast members—Brooklyn, Liamani, Ava, Lumi, and Hudson—were with Malachi, Orlando, and Ella doing a TikTok live stream. They were dancing, laughing, snacking, and doing all the typical sleepover stuff.

Malachi and Mitch were dressed alike: gray sweatshirts and baggy pajama pants. Malachi was wearing Orlando's glasses, which looked great on him, and his hair was messy, which made him look even cuter.

Mitch sat nearby, watching. Although she was smiling, inside she felt a little ignored. Malachi was focused on the live stream, the jokes, and the comments, and had barely paid any attention to her. Without realizing it, that distance began to show.

Malachi was the first to notice. He glanced at her, noticing her silence and subdued expression.

"Hey, are you okay, love?" he asked gently, with genuine concern.

Mitch nodded, though he didn't say anything.

Without ending the live stream, Malachi settled down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer with complete ease. He looked back at the screen, continuing to read comments, as if nothing had happened.

Every now and then, amidst the laughter of others and mingled voices, Malachi would lean down slightly to place soft kisses on his cheek. Mitch rested his head on his shoulder, the ice cream in his hand, slowly melting.

Around them, Brooklyn, Liamani, Ava, Lumi, and Hudson were sprawled around the living room, eating ice cream and talking all at once. Orlando was complaining about a flavor that was no longer available.