Absence

You know how they always say absence makes the heart grow fonder? Well, I don't know who they are but I know of one time when they were wrong.

It all started on my 16th birthday, Oliver and I had been together for eight months and Miley was seeing a guy named Trent. At my party, which was held on the on the beach, Oliver got a call from his mother.

She and his father had finally organised and booked a trip that they had been planning for years. Oliver and his parents were leaving the next day, the first day of the summer holidays, for a three month trip around Europe. Oliver was really bummed; you see, we had made all these plans for our summer and now we couldn't see them through. I was disappointed too but I also knew it was going to be a great experience for him.

The next day after we had said our goodbyes to Oliver, Miley sat me down for yet more bad news. Her dad had been in talks with Hannah's record company and publicity team and Hannah was going on a three month nationwide tour. Miley had tried but unfortunately Lola couldn't go. She was leaving that afternoon.

So 5 o'clock rolled around, Hannah got on her tour bus and left. So, I had three months of holidays and no friends to spend them with. I was standing on Miley's driveway watching her tour bus drive away thinking about this when Jackson turned to me.

"So, you got no one to spend the summer with?"

"Nope."

"I know how you feel."

"You do?"

"Yup, all my mates are either gone or leaving."

"It sucks, huh?" I said smiling sympathetically

"Yeah, totally…so you want to grab some dinner later?"

"Sure, what did you have in mind?" I asked as we walked inside

I didn't plan it but I spent nearly the entire summer with Jackson, nearly half of it at his place. We just got along so well, I mean, we always have. We played video games, alternately beating each other; we went surfing and always tried to out do each other. I talked to him while he worked at Rico's and he watched me practice moves on the half pipe. We never ran out of things to do or stuff to talk about.

At 6.30 each night I had to go home for dinner. Every night he would tell me how he didn't want me to go and I'd tell him I didn't want to go either. I live a five minute walk from Jackson's and even though I would get up to leave at 6.30, I never got home before 7.

The only serious conversation we had the entire summer was the night before Miley and Oliver were due home. We were sitting on the beach and been talking and laughing until Jackson went quiet.

"You ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Come on, I've spent almost everyday for the last three months with you, I know when something's bothering you."

"It's just… it sucks."

"What's sucks?"

"That tomorrow, as soon as Miley and Oliver get back it's all going to back to the way it was."

"What's going to back to the way it was?"

"We are."

"What do you mean?"

"You and I are going to back to the way we were, you know, before this summer."

"No we won't, a lot has happened and we've become really close, nothings going to change that."

"You say that now, but you just wait, tomorrow when Miley and Oliver get home, we'll go back."

"Well, what do you mean by back?"

"Oh, you know, back to just saying hi if we pass each other in my living room or if you order something from Rico's."

"I don't want that."

"I don't want it either but it's going to happen."

"I won't let it happen, I promise."

"Sure, if you say so."

"Jackson, what else is bothering you?"

"Nothing."

"Tell me."

"I can't."

"Why? You can tell me anything, you know that."

"Really? Even if what I want to tell you is that I'm in love with you?" and before I could reply he kissed me. I didn't know what to do.

"I have to go."

"Lily I'm sorry, I…" he didn't finish the thought, there was no point, I had already left.

Miley and Oliver got back the next day and it turned out Jackson was wrong, but not in the way he had hoped. Things between Jackson and I, they were worse. We barely spoke, even less than before and when we did talk all we could manage was awkward "hellos" and even more awkward "see-you-later's". Thing's with Oliver had changed too, I think I changed in his absence. I tried, but I came to realise that not only had I changed but so had my feelings for him.

Miley noticed the stuff between me and Jackson straight away and, finally, after two weeks of trying to ignore it, hoping it would go away, she brought it up.

It was a Saturday afternoon and we were in her room trying to decide what to wear to wear to the party we were attending that night; she was standing in front of a mirror holding a pink tube dress when she asked.

"So…what's going on with you and Jackson?"

"Miley, if I tell you, do you promise not to get angry and just help me?"

"Sure, what it is?"

"Ok, the day before you and Oliver got back, at like five in the afternoon, Jackson and I were sitting on the beach, talking and he confessed something to me." Hearing this Miley put down the dress and sat on the bed giving me her full attention.

"What did tell you?"

"He…told me he was in love with me and…"

"Oh my god!! I can't believe it…wait did you say and? What else happened?"

"He…um…he kissed me."

"Oh my god! How could he do that? He knows you're with Oliver, I can't believe him!"

"Miley, calm down."

"Calm down? How can I?"

"Please, I don't know what to do."

"What you mean?"

"I have feelings for him too."

"What?!"

"After he kissed me I ran off."

"That's not surprising.'

"I went to the rocks to sit and think, while I was there I realised some things. First I realised that in the months he'd been away I hadn't thought about Oliver that much, I'd been too busy having fun with Jackson. I also realised I had had so much fun with Jackson, more fun than I had ever had with Oliver."

"Really?"

"Yeah, then I had my biggest realisation."

"What, what was it?"

"That I had loved every millisecond of that kiss and I love everything about Jackson."

"Wow, I…I…" Miley was lost for words

"I know, its huge right? I'm with Oliver but I'm in love with somebody else."

"Well, I guess you know what you have to do." Said Miley once she had recovered from the shock

"Are you ok with it? Me and Jackson."

"Lily, I just want you to be happy and if that means you being with Jackson then I'm ok with it."

"Thank you."

"So when are you going to tell Oliver?"

"I don't know, he's supposed to be my date tonight, what should I do?"

"I don't know but do it soon."

"Well, no time like the present, right?" I said standing up

"You're going to do it now?"

"I got to stop procrastinating; I'm not being fair on Oliver."

"Yeah, you're right, good luck."

"Thanks." I said while putting on my jacket

I went straight to Oliver's; unfortunately his mum was home so he came outside when I asked to speak to him privately.

"So what's up babe?"

"Oliver I have to tell you something."

"Ok, go ahead." He said as I took a deep breath

"I want to break up." I said unable to look him in the eye

"What? Why?"

"It doesn't matter, I just…" I hoped I could get away with not giving a reason. I was wrong.

"It does to me; I deserve to know why you're dumping me."

"Oliver…"

"I want to know."

"Ok, fine," I took another deep breath "I'm in love with somebody else."

"Who?"
"It doesn't matter; I have to go." I said getting up and walking away

"Wait." He called but I didn't look back

I went to the beach, where I knew he would be. I saw him sitting, still in his work uniform, on the beach watching a guy teaching a girl how to surf.

"Hi." I said sitting down next to him

"Hi." He replied, I waited but he just kept his eyes glued to the couple, I knew I'd have to do all the talking

"I broke up with Oliver."

"Sorry." He said his tone disguising his true feelings

"Do you want to know why?"

"Sure."

"I did it because I'm in love with someone else." For the first time since I had sat down, he looked at me

"Really?" he said not daring to ask the question I knew he wanted to

"Yeah, it didn't feel right, you know? Being with Oliver when I'm in love with you." I said and began to smile

"But you ran away."

"I know but I had a boyfriend and when you kissed me I realised I had feelings for you and it freaked me out."

"It freaked you out?" he said looking hurt

"Having feelings for you didn't freak me out; how strong they are did."

At this point, unbeknownst to Jackson and I, Oliver had arrived on the beach. He was meeting Miley; he needed to talk about the break up. Miley had been watching and listening to our conversation the entire time but now that Oliver had got to Miley and saw what she was watching, he did too.

Jackson was just looking at me stunned, so I decided to make my feelings abundantly clear.

"Jackson," I said and took his hands "I love you."

"I love you too." He said and kissed me.

"Hey, you didn't run away this time." He said smiling and kissing me again

"That's because I never want to leave."